A Chosen Leader: Reforming a Union
by OfftopicWriter
Summary: An unsuspecting teen gets an offer he never wanted. He's forced into a position he never asked for. And, he got a responsibility he never wished of having. However, life goes unexpectedly, and with the help of a few warships that have personalities, maybe everything will be alright. (New Chapters will be slightly edited to improve the story)
1. Sticky Situation

**Hello and thanks for clicking on this story. Kind of got inspired to make something like this. Anyways, I would like to say the first couple chapters will not have any of the shipgirls in it, yet, but we will get there soon. **

**Also, the character name that is bold above the story will be in his/her point of view.**

**(Chapter has been reworked)**

_**Danzig, Poland. 2010**_

_A liberator of a Union,_

_A diplomat for the Royals,_

_A leader with an Iron Fist,_

_And a sustainer of an Empire,_

_A messenger of Freedom must wake, _

_A Banner of Power shall shape, _

_A Crown of Honor will compose,_

_And a Bell of Peace that soothes,_

_One capable to protect the earth, _

_and become graced for a Rebirth._

Those words silenced the entire group of high ranking officers. They all had no voice at the time. No one wanted to say anything. The letters illuminated white on the big screens in the center of the room.

A prophecy? That's absurd! They lived in a modern era, none of them believed such nonsense. However, they couldn't shake the feeling that this was true.

"What the hell are they saying!" A man in a uniform yelled. His accent clearly stated he was British. "We haven't seen them in the last six decades, and they just decide to show up. I thought we wiped them out completely after the War ended." The insignia on his shoulder suggested he was a commander.

"Does this mean another war with _them _is imminent?" an officer from Japan asked. Hushed whispers came from that area, but no one wanted to answer. "Is this creator going to help us."

"If so, we need to prepare war preparations against the Sirens." Another officer demanded he was from Germany. "We have to get our warships ready for this."

"He's right, the Sirens do this- This all started happening when we began to use the Wisdom Cubes!" a man with a German voice shouted. "Why did we use such a thing in the first place!" There was murmuring in the crowd, and the quiet voices began to rise. Soon, disciplined officers from around the world began to shout like children.

"Be quiet, Captain, everyone agreed to use them," another man spoke. "Don't blame those for our problem." The shouting settled down, and some officers hung their heads in shame at their attitude. Small discussions began to surface, but no one discussed anything in a unified manner. They were all with officers of the same nationality.

"Then we best prepare for war."

The large group of 250 and more officers went silent. One man stole their attention, and he was Admiral of the Global Navy of Azure Lane. His gaze was cold, and his eyes, freezing. "If what they say is true, then we best prepare along the Pacific and in the North Atlantic." The group remained silent as he spoke on.

"What are your orders, Admiral?" an officer from the Royal Navy questioned. All eyes were focused on him, hungrily waiting for an answer.

"Officers of the Sakura Empire, prepare your Fifth Carrier division for a recon mission around the mainland. Also, send the First Carrier division to rendezvous with the First Fleet of the Union. If we keep the other two sections focus in the North Atlantic, then-"

The ground shook violently with the sound of an explosion. It wasn't far from where the men were. Sirens began to screech throughout the building: something had happened. There was confusion among the brass. The double doors to the conference room opened; a man with the rank of ensign stormed in. "Fleet Admiral! We're being bombarded by multiple ships harbor! It's them! The Sirens!"

Everyone froze at the sentence. The Admiral clenched his teeth, panic erupting inside of him. "Everyone evacuate into the mainland. Get out of firing range! Tell Fubuki and Duke of York to buy some time."

"He's right, run for safety!" Officers in the room began leaving, shouting orders to their men. Another explosion shook the building, and a couple chunks of concrete fell from the walls. "The docks have been destroyed! The H.M.S Duke of York has been hit! INCOMING SHELLS!" Their panic became overwhelming, a shock wave hit, followed by dust and rubble filling the room. A few men lay dead, being near where the artillery impacted.

The Admiral, who fell on the ground from the shock, struggled to get up. A man ran to the Admiral. "Sir, are you alright!" They coughed from the dust that spread through the air.

"My old age is getting to me," the Admiral grunted, shaking his head, "we're going to have another war with the sirens. Quick, write down the prophecy!" The Admiral slowly lifted himself onto his desk. Grabbing a pen and paper, he furiously wrote down the words but did so neatly. He needed an understanding of what this meant. As the last word was written down, he heard the faint boom of cannon fire. His eyes widened with fear. _There's nowhere to run. _The only place to go was inland quickly, and they were out of time. He put the paper into his pocket and got up to run.

It was too late.

**BOOOM!**

The Admiral's sight went blurry, only seeing the large concrete pieces in his faint vision. He saw a fellow officer get crushed by the debris, another incapacitated with rock falling on his leg. There were cries of fear and screams of pain. He heard the loud boom of another cannon going off, following the shock wave of it hitting the building.

"Admiral, we got to get you out of here!" His aid scrambled towards him, stumbling slightly as he went. The Admiral felt himself get picked up, his right arm being slung over someone's shoulder. "We can't let the leader of the Combines World Navy get killed! Not here!" With his left hand, the Admiral felt his face. There was a slight pain, followed by liquid seeping onto his fingers. He brought his hand to his vision. Blood. There was a lot of it, too.

"It's . . . too late for me, Captain," he said, closing his eyes slightly. He reached into the pocket, took out the paper, and held it out to the other officer. His aid fell silent, stopping for a brief moment. "You have to take it, and get out of here!" Using another surge of strength, he took out a handheld radio. "Admiral Weinharold to all ships in the Global Combined Fleet."

"Sir . . ."

The Admiral gritted his teeth, his head felt light. "My last orders are these to you. Protect my aid until in American Soil and make sure he gets the paper to the President. Also, you are not to follow the orders of anyone else,

but the next Admiral that is chosen through the prophecy."

The Captain stood there, dumbfounded. "Sir! We can still save you-" He was shoved back by the Admiral, who looked at him sincerely, but his eyes showed hatred. The Admiral stood there, his chin up high, looking through the massive holes of the artillery's impact. Dust enveloped the entire room. Coughing erupted from the men still unfortunate to be in such a place. Both the Captain and the Admiral fell victim, violently coughing their lungs out.

"Admiral Weinharold to U.S.S. Maury: have Captain Stenson escorted back to America. He carries a precious piece of cargo," He looked to the Captain, who was still reluctant to move. Around them, the ceiling of the building began to lose its strength to stay up. Small chunks fell, some officers falling victim to the pieces of infrastructure. "Now Captain, I order you: GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE."

Tears began to flow from other officer's face, but he nodded and ran through the hallway. He never looked back.

_That's a good soldier. _The Admiral nodded, before turning back to the hole opening. He moved his hand to his belt. On it was a pistol holder. He took out the gun, a standard issue M9, and held it firm. He looked around. He saw a man with his right arm gone, his eyes looking right at the officer. The Admiral turned his head slightly to the left: a man crushed by concrete.

_"If it isn't the one and only Admiral of the Global Combined Fleet. Well, I wouldn't think Azur Lane would keep someone like you around,"_ A deep, feminine voice declared. The dust began to settle someone, but a figure appeared through the smoke the Admiral knew all too well. His face grimaced as the woman appeared. "_You lost your touch, old man." _

"Purifier." He could only growl at such a name. She came into the clear of the dust, smiling wide as she observed the mess she made. Her yellow orbs shone maliciously at the sight of death and destruction. "I thought you were dead long ago." Her pure white hair waved peacefully in the air, but she was dark and twisted. She placed a finger on her cheek.

"I thought I was, too," she snickered, "until I was saved. You see, I am part of something bigger now. Too big for any of you pathetic excuses of life to understand." She waved her hand slightly, and two disks came from the opening the artillery made. The disks portrayed two barrels on them, representing cannons on a battleship. "I do apologize, my attack drones were a bit too eager to fire. However, that doesn't matter anymore." The disks suddenly stilled. A few silent seconds passed by.

**BOOOM!**

They fired to the Admiral's right. He himself was unharmed, but the officer standing where they fired was not. He was a bloody mess, and the Purifier laughed at that. The wall behind the officer was leveled. He clenched his teeth. "You will answer for your crimes. There will be another leader." The building began collapsing, but there was no one left alive in the building.

"Don't worry, even if the so-called chosen one does become the leader of the fleet again, he will have trouble bringing the world to help him. You see, we invented a sort of brainwashing, and will establish our own puppets to the places your officers fell from, including you. We'll make sure all the high ranks parish through us!" She spread her arms wide, looking up to the ceiling and laughing maniacally. "Your so-called warships do not stand a chance against our new navy! Your countries will fall, your people will be enslaved to the Sirens, and they will bow down to our might! We will use your warships as cloning tools! We've already got Germany and Japan to do our will!"

His vision was getting blurry. He still felt the blood falling from his face. "If that's so, then I might as well take you with me. Britain and the United States will never bow down to you!" He lifted his pistol and took aim. The Purifier did the same, a crazed grin on her face, her eyes full of adrenaline. Her cannons now pointed to him. He closed his eyes. The Admiral pulled the trigger, and the barrel was the last thing he heard.

_**Commander**_

_**10 years later . . . **_

There was a peaceful silence. The atmosphere was calm and stable, and the mood was silent. He lay there, sleeping peacefully as his dreams floated through his mind. It was as is he was meant for this ordinary mood.

Suddenly, a loud blare enveloped his hearing. He jolted awake, but made no sound; he was used to this noise. For the past 200 days, he used the blaring noise to wake him for school. He let out a yawned and reached over to his phone. Pressing the home button, the screen lit brightly, burning his eyes with the illumination. He pressed on the screen a single time, and the loud commotion stopped. He groaned but sighed in relief as he let out a small smile. There was a reason to celebrate. He was graduating high school and moving onto a new career.

The creaking of the bed made its presence as he rolled off the bed, landing on his feet. The carpet of the room rubbed his feet dryly. His hands burned, but their texture felt dry. He moved to the door and flipped the light switch next to it. The area of the room became brighter and he smiled. "Today is the final day, Titohoru," he told himself brightly. He rubbed his dark brown hair.

Titohoru moved to the next room, his personal bathroom. Moving the shower itself, he turned the handle. The shower head shot out ice cold water, and Titohoru cringed at the feel of it. He recoiled his hand to his body and rubbed his arm to warm it up. Closing the shower door, he proceeded to wait for the water to get warm.

After his shower, he moved to the sink and took out his toothbrush. Turning the knob, the faucet shot out water. Wetting the toothbrush, he applied toothpaste and began cleaning his mouth. After a minute, Titohoru spat out the paste into the sink and cleaned the faucet bowl. Looking up at the mirror, Titohoru looked at his own eyes: blue with a slight hint of green. He changed into new clothes and left his room, turning the lights off first.

He zipped down the stairs, landing with hard pound sound that emitted from the floor. "Good Morning!" His smile was wide.

"Good morning, Honey," a feminine voice greeted him. It was his mother, Isabella Wolvjetski, a Polish citizen that moved to America forty years ago as a child. "Final day of school is waiting for you." She was holding a spatula, pointing it lazily at him. "I made you and your sisters breakfast this morning, but I got work to go to soon. I'll take the little one, and you take Maya to her grade school." Tithoru looked over to the kitchen table. His young sister, Maya, was eating her pancakes happily, a grin on her face.

"Good morning, Big Brother!" she said excitedly. She jumped off from her chair and run to Titohoru. The young girl gave Titohoru a look he has seen for years. "Can you give me a piggyback ride? Please?"

"Ah, okay," Titohoru bent down a little bit, letting Maya get on his back, placing her legs over his shoulders. He was happy to make his young sister smile.

"Maya!" Isabella exclaimed, exasperated at the sight. "How many times have I told you not to do that inside. You could hit your head or something!"

Maya gave a small pout, but Titohoru spoke up in her favor. "She's fine mom, I'll make sure nothing bad happens." She was hesitant, frowning for a few seconds.

"Fine, but you should probably get going, otherwise you two will be late. Oh! That reminds me: go feed Jefferson real quick, Titohoru." He nodded, walking slowly and telling Maya to duck, avoiding contact with the lower parts of the ceiling.

"Almost forgot about him," Titohoru smirked, but felt a slight twinge of guilt. He figured his pet must be starving by now: he hasn't had any breakfast. "Give me a second Maya." He helped the young girl to the floor, where she waited impatiently for Jefferson to get fed.

Now, Jefferson was no ordinary pet, but rather a very unique one by that. "Good morning, Mr. Bald Eagle," Titohoru greeted the eagle. Jefferson cawed in response, nudging his owner's hand as it got close to the cage. "Don't worry, I'll get you out and about when I get back home today." The bird turned it's head slightly, but its eyes remained on Titohoru, as if it could understand what he was saying. He sighed: he wished he could be as carefree as his pet, not having to worry about reputation nor dignity. _I guess stress is really getting to me. _He threw a small chunk of raw beef into the cage. Jefferson pecked at it rapidly.

He gave a salute to the bald eagle, grabbed his backpack from the chair he left in on yesterday, grabbed two pancakes from the pile, and opened the door to leave. As soon as he went through the doorway, he was hit with a humid atmosphere. It felt icky on his skin, and he frowned at the weather. _At least it's not raining. _He shrugged off his negative thoughts of the weather. "Ready for school, Maya."

"Yes!"

"And Titohoru!" His mother yelled from the kitchen, "ask your friend is the motorcycle is finally done being repaired." He grunted, recalling the unfortunate accident. It cost him a fortune out of his own savings, and he didn't even cause it, too."

"Okay."

He bent down so she could get on his shoulders. Once she did so, they were off. Titohoru gave out a small laugh before shrugging his shoulders to get more comfortable with his sister's legs on his shoulders. She hugged the top of his head as he began walking towards the learning establishments, which were short distances away.

He didn't think anything of it, but he swore he's never seen a black car that nice in his neighborhood before. He frowned, not liking the circumstances of why the car was there. _Looks like it belongs to some high profile character. _The brand of the car sure looked expensive, but he decided to leave the vehicle alone, removing the thoughts from his head.

**(* * *)**

"Hey. Titohoru!"

Titohoru looked back to the direction of the voice. A figure with a light tan and blonde hair was racing towards him. "Wait for me!" He and his sister waited for the person to catch up with him. It was a matter of seconds, but he finally reached the two. The person bent down, panting like a mad man from the running.

"Tired already, Jason," Titohoru asked with a smirk. "You should try getting to the gym more, or at least run to someplace and back for stamina."

His friend, Jason, sighed give him a 'really?' look. "Come on! Cut me a break at least. Work has been tiring lately. With the hostilities beginning in Europe and in the Pacific, the government hired the company I worked for as a contractor. Apparently, Japan and Germany are amassing for something."

Titohoru frowned, looking up at Maya slightly. "We can continue this later; better get Maya to school." There was a moment of silence, but a glimpse of understanding from Jason: there was no need to worry his little sister of the times coming.

All of what Jason said was true, two of the big four superpowers were becoming hostile, and it began with the attack that occurred ten years ago. No one talks about, because the military excused it as a gas leak causing a massive explosion. However, out of the 257 high ranking officers present at the event when the catastrophe happened, there were 46 survivors.

"Welp! We're going to be late if we don't get you to school, little one!" exclaimed Jason, who was giving his friend a confident grin. His eyes, though, gave him a different message. Titohoru nodded, then quickened his pace.

The sidewalk was crowded with other students, but most of them attended middle school. The trio walked silently for a few minutes, the sun giving off it torturous heat to them. Soon, they reached the first destination, Maya's middle school. Bending down, Titohoru helped Maya off his back, and after receiving a goodbye hug, she ran to a group of kids waiting for him. Titohoru put his hands in his pockets, looking at his sister run off to the distant school building.

"Something's on your mind, Tito," Jason stated, and all Titohoru could do was a nod. "You mind telling me what's the matter?"

Titohoru shrugged, "Well, I guess I'm just lost."

"What do you mean by that?"

He looked to Jason, who wore a confused look. "Researching the 'Navy's Nightmare' event, I get farther and farther from the truth. I mean, after the disappearance of . . . you know who I mean- it feels like the government is just feeding us lies." He made a fist in his pocket; he couldn't show anger, not here. If only he had a computer to continue his search, it might calm his nerves. Then again, it could cause them to flare into a rage. "It's just building stress of me. Why can't I get any direct answers."

"Let's get going," Jason replied bluntly. "I get it, but you won't be the only angry one if you miss the bus on the last day of school. Your mom will have your ass." Titohoru sighed, agreeing. "By the way, your bike is done being repaired."

"I'm already having a stressful day, Jason."

His friend laughed while he squinted his eyes. In his peripheral vision, he noticed a similar object from when he left his home. _Is that car . . . following me? _He shook his head. It had to be some series of coincidences. There was no way the person in there had any interest in him. The loud engine of the public school bus interrupted his thoughts.

The ride was short, as Titohoru wore earbuds to play music, drowning out the outside world for now. They were still commotion on the bus, but nothing he cared about. He felt a pair of eyes watching him. He turned, looking down the aisle of the bus. A girl, about his age, was gazing softly at him. Her long, blonde hair draped over her shoulders. He stared back at her, and she quickly turned her head, her face becoming flushed. He showed a smile, giving a soft wave to the girl. Maybe this day will be better.

The bus stopped, and the doors opened. He reached his destination: Lexington High School. It was named after the famed battle in the Revolutionary War. Titohoru got up from his seat and waited for the people in front to get off. Soon enough, he was walking through the hallways with his not only Jason but three of his other friends.

"Can't believe we're finally leaving this place," his friend with pitch black hair murmured. His name was Yuji, being Titohoru's friend since grade school. "Can't wait to enlist into the military." They were a little bit of tension in the small group. Titohoru personally hated the military, mainly for their cover-ups that were definitely lies. As they talked once more, the speakers in the school abruptly stated one message.

_"Titohoru Wolvjetski, please report to the Principle's Office."_

A silence fell on them, but Titohoru stayed calm. There was no reason to get worked up over a petty announcement. He looked over to Jason, who just nodded.

"Get back here soon, bud," one of his other friends stated. "We still need to go over plans tonight." His friends walked one way, but he went the other.

Titohoru made his way through the halls, weaving through the crowds of high schoolers chatting. It was ten minutes before the first period started. He was hoping whatever they needed was quick and to the point. He went past the front office and took a left at the first door. Opening it, he went through a corridor that led to the Principal's office. He knocked.

"Come in," the principal greeted. Titohoru, opened the door, only to see a person wearing a refined Naval dress uniform. It looked similar to his father's but the insignia provided the only information he needed. The man in front of him, sitting it one of the guest chairs, was a Rear Admiral of the United States Navy. Titohoru stood still, slowly connecting his thoughts together.

"Were you . . . ." he began, thinking of the fancy, black car he saw this morning.

"Yes, I was, but let's forget about that." He stood up, taking off his hat. He held it with his hands, looking at the hat with a small smile. Then, he looked up to the teenager. "I am Rear Admiral Stenson, one of the American survivors of the 'Navy's Nightmare' catastrophe." Titohoru's eyes went wide.

"Your the person we've been waiting for nearly a decade, now," his eyes glinted in satisfaction and joy. The teen couldn't comprehend his message.

"How would you like to join the Navy?"

**Hello, person reading this. Just want to declare that I'm sorry if I was jumping from subject to subject too quickly or not. Also, the prophecy has a good chance of being remade in the future. I was kind of quick to starting the fanfiction, but I promise it will be good. **

**I will be taking time with each chapter being published, so do not expect too much at one time.**

**If you happen to play in the EN, I am in the Washington server. **

**Hope you enjoy this first chapter. **


	2. A Sudden Proposal

_**Commander**_

The air was stale. Silence flooded the room followed by the tension rising. Titohoru stared at the man in disbelief, unable to make a phrase. The Admiral's sentence left his voice unable to operate. Titihoru coughed, touching his throat.

"Excuse me?"

The Admiral smiled at him. "Of course, you definitely qualify to become a part of the Navy." He looked to the Principal of the school. "Could you please allow to have a private talk?"

"Of course," the principal responded, standing from his chair. He passed Titohoru and exited the room, closing the door behind him. The was silent for a brief instance; Titohoru had no idea what to say to the officer.

"Oh! My apologies, I forgot to address my aid in the room," he looked to the man standing next to him. He nodded but did not speak a word. "The is Lieutenant Patterson of the United States Navy. Please come sit down: I'll take the Principal's seat for now."

Titohoru hesitated but moved forward. He took the seat and moved closer to the Principal's desk, which Admiral Stenson sat at. "So what did you want to discuss with me?" The teenager was skeptical at the man.

"You're Nineteen, correct?" The Admiral asked.

"Yes."

"Good, but before we discuss matters, why don't we have a quick game of chess." Titohoru raised an eyebrow at the man. He turned his head slightly, meeting the eyes of the Lieutenant. The younger officer nodded, shrugging as he took a seat. Titohoru sighed, moving one of the pawns a tile forward. The Admiral did the same. Titohoru then moved his knight from the backline. _Why am I playing this anyways? _Humming erupted from the Admiral as he moved another pawn forward. "So you're turning 20 this summer, isn't that right?" Titohoru hesitated to move his chess piece. He raised his head in surprise, brows tilted. "My apologies, I forgot to inform you that Military can look at civilian records."

"You looked at my Driver's license?", replacing his surprised face with one of confusion. The Admiral just nodded. A simple nod as an answer as the sturdy man turned his gaze to the chessboard. _Suspicious. _Titohoru moved his Knight forward, and the Admiral responded by placing another pawn. The two continued at the game, complete silence enveloping the battlefield. The sound of the clock was the only thing disturbing the atmosphere. Both players managed to capture two pieces from each other.

The Admiral moved one of his bishops from F8 to C5, giving an intimidating motive to Titohoru. He responded by moving his knight from B1 to C3. Besides two pieces, he had his strategy fitted perfectly for both attack and defense. For some reason, he felt his blood boil in excitement.

"Your strategy is truly remarkable," Admiral Stenson complimented, looking up at his face. "I just had to see it for myself but hell, you surpass everyone." Titohoru stayed silent; he did not want to be surprised at how much this man knew about him. "We've seen your history on the internet, and it seems you have a lot of interest in games that mainly focus on tactics and quick thinking. From what I observed, I can gather that you have quite an interest in military tactics." Titohoru nodded but didn't respond. He was feeling rather uncomfortable from the Admiral's knowledge. _Where was the Admiral going with this? _his mind muttered.

"So let me ask a question: why do you hate the military so much?"

Titohoru lowered his head, silent as the air became tense. A sudden surge of anger coursed through him, but he forced that fury to subside. He was getting annoyed with the man, asking obvious questions that were already answered. The teenager slowly lifted his head, glaring daggers at the prestigious officer. The man maintained the same expression as if he didn't do anything wrong. "You don't have the right to know," he responded in a low voice.

"I see: so you're blaming the Navy for your father's disappearance-"

"You don't have the right to make the assumption!" Titohoru growled, glaring daggers at the man. "Did you come here to make me view the Navy differently after it failed to protect my father." The Admiral moved one of his pawns forward, making it prey for Titohoru's piece.

"Titohoru Wolvjetski-" he announced.

"Don't say anything else to me!" the teenager yelled, standing from his chair and making his way out of the room. He was tired of hearing the bullshit coming out of the Admiral's mouth. It was all some sort of set up. It had to be. Why did that man come to him, even if he knew of why Titohoru hated the branch the Admiral served in. _I'll just head to class, and forget that this ever happened. _He opened the door to leave. _Yeah, this is some bullshit prank be played on me._ "We're done here, Admiral Stenson."

"Your father is still alive, Titohoru." He froze, his hand still settled on the doorknob. The Admiral's voice echoed through his mind, the sentence gave him chills. Memories of his father flashed through his mind, and he remembered the smile of his father through that man's sentence.

_"What _did you say?" Titohoru demanded, his voice low. His eyes went wide with rage. "Is this some kind of joke?" A bit of sunlight shone through the window, brightening the room. The Admiral sat there, shaking his head.

"He's alive and fine," the Admiral stated. A moment of silence followed.

"Where is he then?" His voice softened, closing the door. Titohoru didn't move, watching the Admiral as he stood up. "It shouldn't be hard to say if you know that he's alive."

"That information is confidential, sadly," The Admiral informed, "but if you enroll in the Naval Academy, we'll be able to tell you soon enough."

"Wait four years to see my father: are you crazy!" Titohoru exclaimed, balling his hands into fists. The Admiral merely laughed at his words, and so did his aid.

"Not four years, more like one," he responded, "but we can't tell you anymore unless you agree to attend the academy. I'll explain all the details once we get your approval." The Admiral reformed his smile into a stern look. "The only catch is that you have by tomorrow sundown to give us your answer. When you're ready to give the answer, then meet us the McDonalds you visit regularly. We can talk more about what's going on then."

"Wha-" Titohoru tried to respond, but the Admiral was already starting to leave. He placed his hands on Titohoru's shoulders, forcing the teenager to look dumbfoundedly at him.

"Tithoru, we know you are a legend at strategy making, and you also got a great physical body. Remember, we don't want to force this upon you, but just know that hundreds of millions of lives are at stake." With that sentence, the Admiral and his aid let themselves out. Titohoru shook his head and ran out after them.

"Wait!"

The Admiral stopped and looked back at him.

"Why do you want me? I mean out of all the people in the country-in the world, why me?" The was a brief silence before the Admiral gave a heartful grin.

"Because you fulfill the prophecy, Titohoru. Don't forget that."

With that sentence, the Admiral moved to the front entrance of the school. He gave his thanks to the principal and exited the building, leaving Titohoru to his thoughts. _Even though he told me all this, how can I trust him? _He frowned, heading to his first-hour class, which was already in session. _I will find answers, then we can continue this, Admiral. _He felt himself being swallowed by his fury. He forced it down; he was not going to allow this suspicious meeting to ruin his day.

**(* * *) **

The rest of the day went by slowly. Titohoru couldn't concentrate on the farewell speeches his teachers gave. His thoughts rolled in circles, the Admiral's words stuck in his mind. _"Because you fulfill the prophecy, Titohoru. Don't forget that." _It echoed through his head. He couldn't seem to ignore everything that happened this morning.

_Maybe I just need to lie down. _He placed his head on the desk and closed his eyes. _The calm is sure to help me. _Even though he told himself this, he began to drift off into a light sleep. The air around him felt colder than normal, but his face felt nice and warm. The speech by his English teacher began to fade. _This is nice. _

A blunt object hit him in the back of the head, followed by face pressing against the desk painfully. He shot up and looked to where the attack came from. His teacher stood from behind, giving a slightly disappointed look at the teen. "Mr. Wolvjetski, I would like it if you would stay awake for the rest of the class," he told Titohoru.

"Yes, sir," he immediately responded. "Sorry, sir." He could hear some snickers from the class, but everyone else stayed calm.

"Sorry for the interruption," the teacher spoke to the class, "now, with what I said previously, you are all ready to walk the road to your future. It made come with some sharp turns, but be prepared to take action to straighten them . . ." Titohoru didn't bother to listen to the rest of the speech, but he kept himself awake to avoid another incident. It seemed like an eternity, but the bell finally rang. He grabbed his bag from under his seat and stretched as he rose. Exiting the room, he found himself next to his friend.

"Everything alright, Tito?" Jason asked. That nickname was something Titohoru despised; it made him feel like a toddler whenever he was referred to as that. "How did that meeting with the principal go?"

"It's a long story and I'll tell you at lunch," he replied. Jason waved goodbye, walking into his next classroom. Titohoru kept walking, using a stairwell to reach his next class. His thighs burned slightly as he rapidly climbed the stairs. When he reached the second floor, he moved across the hall and entered the science room.

The farewell speech from the teacher lasted the entire period. Titohoru almost fell asleep again, thinking about the conversation between him and the Admiral. As the time continued to move, he thought deeper into their exchange. Nothing about the officer seemed suspicious, but something gnawed at the teenager. _He's hiding something. I just know it. _

The bell rang and, once more, he exited the room. This time he was heading to the cafeteria, a place that did not give him peace whatsoever. There was plenty of yelling and cheering already erupting from the area followed by the sound of chairs colliding with the ground. He sighed, but gave a small smile as he went into this place of chaos: it was his last day here, after all. However, the smile came short when he remembered what the Admiral said.

_You have until tomorrow sundown to give us your answer. _

"Tito," Jason's voice broke his thoughts. Titohoru looked to Jason, who gave him an encouraging smile. His friend placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm just going to say this bluntly: What the hell did they say to you at that meeting."

"What do you mean. I told it's just a long story. That's all," Titohoru replied earnestly. Jason shrugged from the response before sitting down at the usual spot.

Their table was almost in the middle of the cafeteria. As average students attending the high school, Titohoru and his friends didn't really stand out to others. The extremely athletic and popular kids hung out around the sides of the room while the sports team players usually went to the gym. Other groups, like his, used some of the tables between the middle and sides, keeping mind to their own business.

"Tell me the 'long' story," Jasons said, making quotation marks. "I'm here to help. You don't know, maybe I can relieve some stress for you."

Placing his backpack on the table, Tithoru looked around the room. He wasn't sure why, but something in his head told him to be careful if he was going to discuss a conversation like this. Scanning the room, he spotted a pair of eyes trained on him. They were green . . . and also soft. He immediately recognized the golden hair that fell from her shoulders. It was the girl from the bus, gazing at him like before. He held up his hand to wave, but she turned her head before he got the chance. Her face seemed to flush, and Titohoru turned back to Jason, who gave him a suspicious look. "What?"

"Just seeing you eyeing up a girl," Jason explained.

"Shut up."

"I'm proud of you, my dude." Titohoru rolled his eyes, earning a chuckle from Jason. "Anyways, just tell me the story."

Titohoru leaned in closer to his friend. The blond's face turned from sarcastic to serious. "It was the weirdest thing ever," Titohoru started. "The Principal didn't talk to me, some Navy Admiral did. He started saying how I was a good strategist."

"He's not wrong." Jason blurted, interrupting the story.

"Anyways, then he said-" Titohoru stopped, suddenly thinking about the aftermath of saying his dad was alive. He decided against telling his friend the alleged truth about his father. "Nevermind that part, but the man said I fulfilled some sort a prophecy?" The teen still felt confused about that matter; he would ask the Admiral questions about it if the chance came.

"Prophecy? This sounds like some elaborate prank, to be honest," Jason concluded, frowning from the information.

Titohoru shrugged. "He sounded very serious about everything." He sighed, "the Admiral gave me limited time to meet with him, so . . . I don't know what to think or do." He was still struggling about how the Admiral knew so much about him. It seemed like the man had more information about Titohoru then what any database could possess. "I wish I could tell you more, but the rest of it was confidential."

"If I were you, I would think about it tonight, then meet up with him tomorrow," Jason advised, eating the lunch he bought. "Why the hell are these chicken nuggets so crunchy?" Titohoru couldn't help but laugh at his response to eating the food. "I wonder if this food is even edible in the first place."

"I agree with you there," Titohoru replied, a smile forming, "by the way, thanks for the advice, Jason."

His friend nodded in return. "Now, about you and that girl over there." He pointed to Titohoru's right. The teen looked to see the girl flustered. Two of her friends (that's what it looked like anyways) were laughing and she soon followed suit. "I've heard rumors that she has a crush on someone."

"I don't like to talk about drama, you know that." There was a loud screech, but no one paid attention to it. It was probably some rowdy classmates being idiots. "Besides, I don't if it's the right time to ask her out. At least, not with the current issue." Jason nodded, and they changed the conversation, enjoying their lunch period one last time.

Time flew by, and the last bell of his high school experience rang. The sun shone through the windows in a soft radiance. He smiled: Titohoru's summer began right now. There was a considerable amount of cheering emitting from the hallways, but no one stopped the young adults. After four years of bullshit projects, impossible tests (in science at least), and long classes, they made it to the stage in life: college.

He made his way down the hall, following the other students who wanted to escape the establishment. Teachers shouted goodbyes in the hallway. Hardly anyone listened. The teen made his way to the front office; Jason was most likely waiting for him. He then felt a tug, and he turned around. It was the blonde girl from lunch, her eyes softly gazing at him.

"Hello, Titohoru," she stammered, but only slightly. "I was wondering if I could ask you a question."

"Yeah, but first I need to get to the front office," he responded, giving a smile. _First impressions always matter. _He didn't know why that floated through his mind, but he didn't stop it. "Say, you want to come along with me?"

There was a moment of silence. "Oh! Sure." They began walking side by side. The hallways began to empty as most people were already going home for the summer break. The sound of their footsteps was the only source of noise between them.

"Well...," Titohoru started, trying to break the awkward silence, "I guess it's the first time talking to one another. I mean ever since freshman orientation." She nodded, looking down slightly. He frowned at that reaction; he didn't think he said anything wrong. "That reminds me, what's your name."

"It's, um, Gloria."

Titohoru stopped as they went into the stairwell, reaching his hand out. "Nice to meet you, Gloria." She accepted it slowly, her smile widening. Her eyes seemed to glow as well. They shook hands and continued on their way down. "So, what did you want to ask me." He opened a door that led into a hallway on the first floor.

"Well, you see, I know it's quite random," she stopped, and he turned around. Her face was flushed and she was shaking. "Would you like to hang out and relax with some friends tonight? We were thinking of renting a room at this party place." Titohoru was surprised by the offer; getting asked by a girl he's never met since orientation as a freshman. He thought momentarily: _it could help relax him with what happened this morning. _

"Okay," he accepted, "what time is everyone meeting up?"

"Around seven thirty."

He gave Gloria a thumbs up. "I'll be there. I might need your number, though." They both took out their phones and exchanged their cell information. She then nodded and said goodbye before walking off in the main hallway. He gave a smile; a celebration party didn't sound bad at all. Titohoru reached the front office in no time, meeting up with Jason.

"I'm guessing she asked you out?" Jason summed up.

Titohoru shook his head, smirking at his friend. "Not exactly, but we are hanging out with some other classmates tonight. I'm thinking it's going to be mostly her friends." Jason nodded, walking out of the school establishment. "Now, I'm going to need my bike for tonight."

"Make sure you don't wreck it this time, Tito," Jason accused sarcastically. He scowled at his friend.

"It wasn't even my fault in the first place," Titohoru responded. The two friends laughed, enjoying their first minutes of summer.

**(* * *) **

"I guess it's alright," Isabella said after sighing. "Just be careful out there, okay?" Titohoru nodded, giving his mother a quick hug before heading upstairs. Maya was playing with her friends this afternoon, so the house was essentially his for the time being. He then went upstairs, not able to wait. He needed information on Admiral Stenson, and he needed it now.

Titohoru moved into his chair and placed his laptop on his desk. He powered the computer on and logged in. It was time to begin the research. He looked up the Admiral's name first, typing the keywords. Nothing appeared in the search as he expected. He sat back, sighing. _There would be something about this guy. Being one of the few survivors of the "Navy's Nightmare", there should be something about him, unless someone's trying to make his existence remain confidential._ Titohoru tried looking up the Navy's Nightmare incident and searched through everything the internet had to offer. Still nothing. "What are you hiding from me, Admiral Stenson." He decided to focus his studying on the catastrophe itself.

Continuing, he entered a website detailing the incident that happened ten years ago. He frowned as he looked at the information; it was all very vague. The cause of the many deaths that day were 'sudden explosions'. His eyebrows furrowed, _this doesn't make any sense. _He continued to read the post, but nothing was explained in much detail. Even the death count wasn't shown, even though he was able to find it easily years ago. It was as if the information got redacted after it was published. _This is wasting my time. _Titohoru went back to the search results and visited another website. It had more information in detail, but was still unreliable. He sighed: it going to become a frustrating search.

An couple hours passed by, but the teen felt like progress was being made. Reaching new websites, different details of the event began to be discovered. He took several notes of the incident, even finding the death count. He almost went through images of the event, both censored and uncensored. He scrolled down the columns of pictures and stopped. Something caught his eye. He made the photo bigger and inspected it.

He saw a figure with grey strands, like hair, facing a white object. Black fuzziness covered its bottom half. It was a very blurry picture. He saved the picture on a file, bringing it to software designed to clean up blurry photos as best as possible. Titohoru had the program ever since he started searching for his father a year ago. He went through pictures capturing the incident, and he was able to find the picture program to help him. It brought back dark memories, which he shoved away. He waited a little bit, and the program finished its job.

"Let's have a look," Titohoru muttered to himself. He froze as he gazed over the picture. A human, if it even was human, was pointing two turrets. _Turrets? _He squinted to see what the thing was pointing them at. The target was a decorated officer, standing calmly. _What the hell is this? What the hell is that thing? _He couldn't see the figures face. _I need to research this more. _

His phone rang, startling Titohoru from his work. Picking the device up, he looked at the screen. It was from Jason. He picked up the call. "What is it?"

_"Turn to the news station!"_ Titohoru cringed from the sudden noise. _"Turn to any news station! This is serious!"_ He opened his door, cut off the lights, and headed downstairs. He moved to the living room, taking the remote from one of the chairs and powering on the television. He flicked through the television stations at lightning speed, finally landing on the station he was told.

On the news channel, there was a video of burning buildings in multiple neighborhoods. They were by the sea coast of an unknown place. Big, shallow pits and debris covered the area. The destruction seemed to go out for miles. The news reporters were silent, everyone probably was.

_Who . . . did this?_ Was all he could think. He looked down at the place where it happened: California. _Who could've done this on American soil? _Anger began to rush through him, and also fear. Who had the power to wipe an entire suburban area off the face of the earth?

_Hundreds of Millions of lives are at stake here. _The phrase racked through his brain. He gritted his teeth and turned to go upstairs, seeing his mom standing behind him. Her eyes were filled with horror, looking at the disastrous destruction of that poor town. A town filled with people, just like him.

Titohoru ran up the stairs and back into his room. Pushing his chair out of the way, he printed the photo he found and waited for it to print. The printer came to life, did its service, and powered back off. He grabbed the paper and rushed back down the stairs, only to leave the residence with his motorcycle keys. His mother shouted after him, but he ignored it: he had somewhere to be right now.

In only a matter of minutes, he was on the main road and driving to the only destination that he needed. His mind was a hurricane of emotions; he couldn't think straight. He sped up on his motorcycle, passing a car going ten under the speed limit. He took a right at the first intersection near his home. The sound of the engine soothed him somewhat. He couldn't keep himself from thinking of who was behind it. An attack on his home and it was helplessly taken.

_That damn Admiral better have some explanations. _His thoughts raged on, distracting him from his driving as he nearly hit the back of a stopped car trying to turn left. He barely braked in time, jolting forward from the momentum. The sun was leaving a scorching sensation on his arms as he waited.

Cars flew by him on the opposite side of the road, the wind whistling in his ears. The light turned green for him, and he was in his town square. Taking a few more turns, he parked his bike right outside the McDonalds the Admiral promised to meet up. He looked around. The Admiral's car was present as well.

He looked at his phone; it was seven o'clock. He suddenly remembered the invitation Gloria gave him. _I'm sorry. _He wanted to give her a call, but he couldn't do it. Besides, he had an important matter to discuss. Titohoru closed his eyes and took a deep breath as an attempt to calm down. Too much was happening for him to keep up.

Turning the engine off, he rushed into the McDonald's, only to see the Admiral sitting there with his aid. They were the only customers in the establishment. He approached the two men, the Admiral giving him a soft smile. He reached in his pocket and took out the picture he printed.

"I guess you know it's already begun," the Admiral stated. "War is finally being seen over the horizon." Titohoru looked into his eyes, and they were emotionless. He placed the photo on the table, spinning it the Admiral's way. "Where did you get this?"

"This photo has something to do with what happened 10 years ago and what's happening now, doesn't it?" Titohoru concluded before the two gentlemen. Neither of them said a word for a few moments.

"And Hartlepool," the Admiral added, his voice soft.

"What?"

"Hartlepool, England, was attacked around the same time as Santa Monica, California," the Admiral informed Titohoru. "If we're going to do something about this, I need your answer now, Titohoru Wolvjetski." His hands were shaking. "I'm afraid that without you, we may never be unified as a Global Navy ever again." The teenager never saw such an expression on him: it was one of fear and confusion. It seemed like the Admiral was lost on what to do.

"Fine," Titohoru said, with no hesitation on his mind. "I'll do it. I'll be this little prophecy fulfiller." The Admiral gave a nod, followed by a look of genuine gratitude. "But, I need to know what the hell is going on right now. And who the hell is that." He pointed to the strange figure in the picture. The decorated officer let out a sigh in defeat.

"Alright, you win," the Admiral agreed. "Take a seat." Titohoru complied and sat down. Admiral Stenson moved in, closer to him. "The ones who are committing these acts of terror are enemies of Azur Lane."

"Azur Lane? The hell is that?"

The Admiral ignored his question, continuing the unofficial briefing. "They're called The Sirens. The only group that can beat them is Azur Lane, which needs to be lead by you."

**Sorry for having you wait for an entire month. Hopefully, you enjoyed this chapter and I'll make sure to get this next one done as soon as possible.**


	3. A Tough Deal

**Happy 4th of July.**

_**Commander**_

"So technology like that exists . . ." Titohoru mumbled. He looked out the window: darkness with light poles providing faint light. It was almost midnight and, yet, Titohoru found himself in the same restaurant he entered hours ago. The meeting between him and the two officers was normal, but he felt suspicious gazes coming from the employees of the establishment. He couldn't blame the workers; they were in this building for five hours already. During those hours though, the Admiral gave him a grasp on what they were dealing with. From the Navy's Nightmare incident to what happened today was explained in great detail. Titohoru couldn't help but be shocked by so much information. Then came the Admiral's final words.

"Titohoru, we're assigning you the position of Fleet Admiral of Azur Lane," the Admiral informed the teen. "Since you agreed to become part of the Navy, I'm sure you're on board with this." Titohoru was dumbfounded. _Being assigned leader of a Naval Fleet? Is he that crazy?_

"Are you sure that's a good idea," Titohoru asked. He somehow felt overwhelmed by the request that was forced upon him. "I mean, I know nothing about Naval protocol or standard training." The Admiral's aid nodded in agreement with the teenager. There were many things he needed to learn.

The Admiral sighed, "I thought I already explained this: you will be placed in the Naval Academy for a year." Titohoru raised an eyebrow at the Admiral. _Only a year? _"I know that sounds insane, but we don't have much time to waste. It will be tough and you will have to cram a lot, but we need you." The teen tapped his fingers on the table top. He began to think about the future after he left his home. _Home. _He suddenly remembered his family, and he remembered his mother's concerned face when he left for this.

"What about my family?"

"Pardon?"

"My family," Titohoru stated, looking out the window. "What will happen to them in all of this?"

The Admiral didn't show an ounce of concern in his expression. "They will be placed in protective care and any information about them will be redacted. Since you'll become one of the highest priority officers in the world, we'll make they're safe from any threats. Your information will also be confidential: your name, everything. There will be little chance that your family becomes an option for bargaining." Titohoru didn't expect much of the decorated officer, but he nodded in concern. The teen took a sip of his drink, refreshing his throat. "However, Jefferson will be able to come live in your dorms." He choked on the liquid hearing that, eyes wide in surprise. "You didn't think we knew about that?"

"Oh yeah, you're right," Titohoru responded. He set his beverage down and gazed out of the window. A loud beep erupted the calm atmosphere followed by a car veering out of the parking lot and accelerating down a small road. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised by anything you say." The Admiral let out a soft chuckle, leaning back as he placed his hands behind his head. The conversation soon died down and Titohoru felt that he gained all the information he needed. "So, since I agreed to all this, I guess I'll be starting next August with everyone else." There was a moment of silence, and the two officers looked at each other. _Did I say something wrong?_

"Well, I hate to do this to you, but you'll be leaving for the Naval Academy in Hawaii tomorrow," The Admiral said. It took Titohoru a few seconds to absorb the new intel.

"Wha-what?"

"Sorry for not informing you sooner, but you'll be shipped out to the Academy established in Hawaii by tomorrow and will start classes in the next week." Titohoru slowly sat back down. The shock was erupting through his body. _Shipped out tomorrow, _he took out his phone from his pants pocket and turned it on. The time read 11:46 P.M. _It's already this late. _"Do not worry about your family, we'll be stopping by tomorrow to explain everything."

Titohoru stayed silent, thinking about the summer he had planned out. Then again, he wasn't going to do much besides trying to apply to different colleges. "Why can't I just start with everyone else?"

"Today's two attacks prove that we don't have much time to get prepared for an imminent sea invasion by the Sirens," he explained. "We're sorry for doing this, but the faster we train you, the better the chance we have in stopping it." Titohoru looked down to the floor, which was wet and slick from being cleaned. He gazed around, the employees were cleaning up the building. The Admiral looked at the workers with him. "I think our time here has ended; let's continue this outside." The three got up from their booth and exited the building, getting farewells from the workers. The warm atmosphere collided with the soft efforts of the air conditioning when they opened the door. It was a refreshing feeling.

"Well, Titohoru Wolvjetski, you better get packing for the trip tomorrow," the Admiral said with a grin. He patted Titohoru's shoulder, earning a surprised look from the teen. "Also, don't refer to me as Admiral anymore: just call me Mr. Stenson." Titohoru raised in eyebrows, silently questioning the man. "Well, you're going to be my superior in the future, so I was thinking formalities should change."

"Ah." Titohoru laughed from his explanation. He gazed at the sky, the darkness temporarily spreading its domain across the atmosphere. His thoughts wandered to what the future in store for him. Through his thoughts, he couldn't but ask himself one question.

_W__ill I ever see my friends again? _

He thought of Jason's smirk and let out a smile. _Of course, _he answered himself. He looked back down to earth, his eyes focused on his motorcycle. Walking he heard the Admiral's, or rather Mr. Stenson's, voice one more time. It was a farewell for the night. Titohoru smiled and climbed on his motorcycle, starting the engine. _I guess my life changes starting today._ He twisted the right handle, speeding out of the parking lot. He was going home for the last time in the next few years to come.

_**(The Next Evening...)**_

Titohoru sat on the road curb, gazing across the street. The house he faced had a couple of cars in the driveway, followed by lights protruding through the windows. The concrete of the driveway was split into two different sections by the sun, creating a line between light and shadow. He rested his arm on his knee, smiling softly at the scene in front of him; a family lived there with no worries in the world.

The wind blew strong from time to time, rustling the few trees in the front yards of his neighborhood. There was an occasional chirping of the birds. The scorching orange sky was mixing in with the night, creating a shade of violet. With his left hand, he reached out and grasped an object next to him: his suitcase. In front of it was the birdcage which housed Jefferson. The eagle looked up at Titohoru, cocking his head sideways.

"It sure is a great night." Jason's voice ripped through the air. Titohoru's friend sat to his right, joining the teen with his evening gazing. A car drove by, the person inside giving the two a wave, and they waved back.

Titohoru nodded in agreement. "It sure is."

"It's a shame I won't be able to enjoy more like this."

"Same thing goes for me, buddy."

The two friends let out a chuckle each. Their smiles were visible but soon disappeared after some time. They sat there, the silence being their mediator as they continued to watch the surroundings. Jason turned his foot left and right in the air. "So you're mom had a heart attack last night, huh?"

Titohoru let out a sigh. When he got home at midnight, the first thing he was welcomed with was a ton of scolding by his mother. He didn't blame her for it; he would've felt the same way if it was his child, too. However, she soon forgave him with a hug after ten minutes of yelling at the teen. Titohoru then explained what was going to happen the next day, and his mother reluctantly agreed with it. Looking up at the sky, Titohoru remembered the phrase Isabella told him.

_"You're no longer in high school after all,"_ she said through shed tears_, "I can't influence your choices anymore, but it doesn't mean I'll worry about you from this point onwards."_ He took those words to heart, grateful that he had someone to say that to him. Now, he waited for the Admiral and his aid to arrive. For now, though, he was hanging with his best friend, whom he only told this story too a couple of hours ago. At first, Jason was a little disappointed with not able to hear the situation sooner, but he said it was fine for him. Titohoru couldn't help but doubt his response.

"I'm sure we'll see each other soon enough, Jason," Titohoru stated, "You're contracted to the military, specifically the Navy."

Jason frowned, "I guess that's true, but I highly doubt they'll give a civilian contractor a job in a classified place." The two teens once again fell silent. After a few minutes, Jason spoke again. "Well, there might be a small chance."

Titohoru laughed, "Small chance!? You're a literal god with machinery. Hell! I'm surprised you weren't hired as a tech engineer right off the bat!" He heard his friend give out a chuckle, but it was interrupted with the gradual sound of a car engine approaching. Titohoru stood up and observed the vehicle: it was the Admiral. Jason stood up as well with a frown now planted on his face. As the black Cadillac parked, the sound of the wind and the chirping of the birds became silent. Titohoru felt uneasy at the sight of the car. The doors opened and the Admiral appeared before the two, his aid in tow.

"Hello, Titohoru," the Admiral greeted, nodding his head. The teen gave a soft nod in response. Admiral Stenson then turned to Jason and gave a smile. "You must be Titohoru Wolvjetski's friend. A pleasure to meet you." He held out his hand and Jason accepted, shaking the hand. "I am Admiral Stenson of the U.S. Navy."

"Hi there," Jason replied, "I'm Jason, currently contracted as a company mechanic for the military."

The Admiral's eyes lit up. "Well, I'm impressed. The Navy is in desperate need of engineers and mechanics. You would get housing and meals paid by the Military."

"I'll consider it." The Admiral gave his quick farewell and walked towards Titohoru's house; he needed to explain the events of what was happening to his mother. His aid followed, not saying a word as he passed the two teens. "I guess the Admiral gets talkative?" Titohoru let out a short chuckle, then picked up the cage containing the bald eagle.

The teen carried his luggage to the black Cadillac. He and Jason had a conversation about the future. The wind picked up once again, rustling the trees and bushes around them. Setting the two suitcases on the ground, he listened to Jason's words. They talked for some time, reciting events in the past that were most hilarious for both of them. Titohoru smiled at the stories of the past; they were filled with priceless memories. He wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

Soon, the sun began its inevitable descent into the land, and it was time for the two to finally depart from each other. "I hope nothing like yesterday happens at all," Jason abruptly announced. Titohoru frowned at the sudden sentence. He knew that Jason meant the destruction of the two towns. The last time he checked, it was still on the news. The casualties from the two sudden attacks were still being counted.

"I hope so, too," Titohoru responded in agreement. Then, Jason hugged him. Titohoru felt the embrace and patted his friend on the back. They stayed like this for a number of seconds. The backed out of the hug. "Hey, don't go getting all emotional now." Jason let out a small laugh, but some tears were falling from his face.

"Make sure you don't die or anything like that," Jason responded, wiping the tears from his eyes. "The only thing I wish is that what you learned from that Admiral."

"Sorry, but it's top secret."

Jason nodded his head, looking back towards the house. "You might want to say a final goodbye to your family as well." He checked his watch. "Got to get to work. This is goodbye for now." He held out his hand and Titohoru shook it with his own. Once they released hands, Jason began walking down the sidewalk, waving his hand as he continued forward. Titohoru waved after him, but stayed where he was. At that moment, Titohoru felt a small piece of him break apart. He watched as his friend started to shrink in the distance until he was the size of a ant.

He turned to his house and made his way to the front door. There, his mother and two sisters watched him approach, tears in their eyes. Isabella showed a soft smile as she tried to hide her sadness. Maya didn't try to hide her grief, bawling her eyes outs and crying next to her mother. The youngest sister, however, couldn't understand the situation and was confused at the situation.

"Big Brother!" Maya cried, running up to Titohoru and hugging his leg. He felt somewhat embarrassed with the gazes of the two officers focused on him. He locked eyes with the Admiral, trying to get a message to him. Admiral Stenson understood in a split second, informing the teen that he and his aid would wait at the car. They left, leaving Titohoru to say goodbye to his family. "Pwease don't go!" She was sobbing into his jeans. He smiled, patting his sisters head softly before crouching down to her eye level.

"Hey, hey don't cry," he instructed her, wrapping his arms around Maya. He rested his on top of hers, muffling her sobbing. "I'll be back before you know it. I need to be strong for me and mom and your little sister." He parted from the hug and she looked up to him, tears still flowing from her eyes. "You can be strong, can't you?" She hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded in agreement. "That's good, Maya."

Titohoru then turned to his mother who had tears running down her face. "I'm going to miss you, Tito," she sobbed, her voice cracking a little bit. There wasn't anything else that was said. He just approached and wrapped her in a hug along with the youngest sister. They stayed with their arms wrapped around each other. Titohoru could hear the muffled sobs of his mom as she let it out into his shoulder. _"Promise me you'll come back." _The voice was barely audible, but Titohoru managed to hear it. He let out a sad smile.

"I will be back. I promise." The embrace ended, and Titohoru saw the uncontrollable river of tears leaving his family's eyes. He turned and walked to the Admiral. He didn't bother to turn back to wave goodbye; he couldn't bear to see those hurt expressions. He looked up at the late evening sky and inhaled deeply before grabbing Jefferson's cage and entering the vehicle on the right side. The sensation of the leather interior was comfortable.

He placed the cage on the middle seat, having the eagle placed between Titohoru and the Admiral. His aid was in the shotgun seat and a chauffeur was in the driver's. The engine hummed to life and the vehicle slowly accelerated, moving them down the road. He faced forward, trying to forget the agonizing expressions of his mother and little sister. Before he knew it, he was crying. The tears moved down his face, but he didn't wipe them. Titohoru felt as if leaving the droplets was punishment for hurting his family.

"Titohoru..." the Admiral began, but didn't continue. There was silence for a short period.

"I accepted this request, Admiral," Tithoru informed him, "This was something I was aware of. I was prepared to leave them, or at least I was..." He looked over to Admiral Stenson, who nodded before turning to the window.

For the next twenty minutes the ride was silent. Everyone was involved with their own surroundings. Titohoru looked over to the Admiral, who was reading through a document. He looked away; the document could be confidential at the least. Instead he looked down at Jefferson, who was sitting on the perch. Titohoru slid a finger through the wire. Immediately, Jefferson began nuzzling it with his beak.

"That's a very unique reaction from a bald eagle," the Admiral's voice distracting Titohoru from the bald eagle. "I have only seen one other eagle show that kind of affection." Titohoru raised his eyebrow, somewhat curious.

"Really? Where?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

That was the only interaction between the two in the car ride. The sound of the engine filled Titohoru's mind, interrupting his thinking. He rested his cheek on his palm, gazing out the window. They passed a fast food restaurant and quite a few neighborhoods. It felt as if the car ride would go on forever. The silence forced him to close his eyes, and the teen fell into a light sleep.

Titohoru felt himself get pushed lightly and shot awake. He rotated his head left, seeing the Admiral retracting his arm. He gave the teen a smile. "We're here, Titohoru." He left the vehicle and Titohoru did the same, grabbing Jefferson's cage. He closed the door and walked to the trunk, grabbing his backpack and the suitcase he packed with him. He then looked at his surroundings, finally realizing he was standing on an airstrip. To the right of the Cadillac was a C-21 jet, which was used to fly high class officers. To the right of that plane was C-17 cargo plane. There was a staircase on the side of the fighter. The cargo ramp of the C-17 was lowered with a crew of men loading to what seemed to be a jeep.

"Now, Titohoru, I have a thing to discuss before we leave." He turned to the Admiral. The officer was holding an orange folder that was somewhat thick in length. "I need you to read this before you land in the next 13 hours." Titohoru grabbed the folder and opened it. He read the first couple sentences in the document he was just handed. He looked up, raising an eyebrow at Admiral Stenson. "Everything in that document will answer any question you have."

"Thank you... I guess?" Titohoru responded. _Then what the hell was that five hour discussion last night? _He sighed, confused at the Admiral's action. "Shouldn't we be boarding that C-21 now?" He grabbed his belongings, walking to the staircase to board the plane. Then, he felt a hand on his shoulder, holding him back. Titohoru turned his head to see a malicious gleam in his eyes as he smiled at the teen.

"No, no, Wolvjetski, you will be flying on the C-17," the Admiral informed him.

"What?"

Titohoru felt dread course through him. He looked at the larger aircraft, seeing the metal benches with straps on either side of the interior walls. The sound of muffled buzzing came from inside the craft, as the jeep was being slowly driven into the plane. "As part of you're training," the Admiral began informing him, "you will begin with being in uncomfortable and painful situations." The officer shouted to his aid, who grabbed Titohoru's belongings from him, taking them onto the C-21 jet. "We will watch your stuff you, especially Jefferson." The Admiral held out his hand, requesting the cage. Titohoru reluctantly complied, earning a smile from the Admiral. Jefferson gave out a shrill screech to the exchange. "Take care, and remember, make sure you read that." He pointed to the document Titohoru was holding. Titohoru stood there as the Admiral boarded the jet.

_Might as well get going, too. _He walked to the C-17 and slowly walked up the ramp, unsure of where to go. He was immediately stopped by one of the crew men working with strapping down the jeep. Rather than questioning the teen's presence, he welcomed and guided Titohoru on how to put on the seat straps. After getting placed in and waiting for the crew to finally load the cargo, the plane began moving. Soon, they were up in the air with concerning creaking noises that made him uncomfortable. The engine noises were ringing in his ears.

None of the crew members sat near him, but he didn't mind. He opened the folder and began reading the first page of the document:

**_Wisdom Cube and SG (Ship Girl) Development_**

_...what? _

Titohoru blinked a couple times and re-read the topic of the page. His eyes weren't lying to him; the folder with a classified stamp had the words 'ship girl' in it. His mind was struggling to comprehend what a ship girl even was. The only thing he could think about was the credibility of this document. He couldn't help but doubt that the military had something called a ship girl in it. S_hip girls my ass. _

**_March 15, 1942: Commander O'Brian's Testimony_**

**_An unknown person entered the conference room, despite high security around and through the building. The unknown person then began speaking of enhanced Technology to combat the Sirens: the naval forces who came from space. Various countries were struggling to combat them. He showed the Admiral and other officers a glowing blue cube and informed that this was the key to defeating the Sirens. A bright light shone, blinding everyone until it vanished. The man disappeared, but where he stood were three crates with the glowing blue cubes. Also appearing were two 10x15 chambers. _**

**_The cubes contained a small light in the center of its mass. Numbers and letters appeared on all sides of the cubes. The Naval Research Committee agreed to address these strange objects as Wisdom Cubes (WC)._**

**_The middle of the chambers contained to small cubic holders, capable of holding up to two wisdom cubes at a time. Within one of the chambers were instructions about operation. The chambers needed to be powered by electricity and were the key to weaponizing the wisdom cubes._**

Titohoru felt as if his own mind was deceiving him. The paragraphs looked like they were ripped out of some sort of futuristic fiction novel and slapped into a government document. He frowned, continuing to read the first page. The rest of the front side was just the operation instructions the third paragraphed referenced. After finishing the first page, he looked up from the document. The Jeep was rattling slightly and some of the crew men were either chatting or reading books. He sighed, taking out his phone and turning it on.

The lock screen appeared which showed a picture him, his mother, and his sisters. After seeing the picture, Titohoru couldn't stop the tears that formed on his eyes. He was silent, trying to stop the crying by thinking of the document. It did nothing to help. It was only a few hours, but he couldn't help admit it: he felt alone for the time in his life.

_I'll be back mom._

_I Promise. _


	4. Welcome to Azur Lane Headquarters!

**Hello readers, let's get into the chapter. Sorry for the super long wait, but I was grinding out Azur Lane. The Meowficcers weren't mentioned due to the timing, but they will appear later in the book. **

**_Commander_**

Titohoru jerked to the right as the C-17 landed after so many hours. The rays of the sun shone through the small windows above him. The crew of the plane chatted away about the pain of the trip, and the teen couldn't agree more. He felt like absolute shit; he had experienced nothing as bad as this. The final roar of the engines died down, and the teen opened his eyes slightly. They have arrived at their destination: Hawaii.

The plane slowed down before turning slightly to the right, exiting the runway. The plane came to a stop and the engines were cut off. Then the cargo ramp descended, relieving the passengers of the torturous flight. The crew of the C-17 began to unbuckle their seatbelts and begin to move around the plane. Some began to take off the straps from the jeep as others went outside to wait for orders. Titohoru decided to follow the ones exiting the craft. Unbuckling his seatbelt and standing up, he staggered as his head began to feel heavy. It became normal after a few seconds, but the dull pain from his back, neck, and head substituted the sudden dizziness.

_Sitting here for so long is probably why it hurts. _Besides always moving because of his father, Titohoru never went on trips in his childhood. The only time he went to new locations was when he moved for his father's reassignment in the Navy. First to San Diego, then a ton of other places he couldn't remember. Titohoru ignored the pain from his body as he grabbed the folder which the Admiral gave him. _Shit, I didn't finish it. _He sighed as he moved out of the cargo bay, where he saw a convoy of vehicles driving to them from a hangar from about a mile out. Walking off the loading ramp, Titohoru felt the heat of the scorching sun land upon his head and arms. He waited for the vehicles to reach him, especially the black BMW that was leading the convoy.

The car drove up next to him and the window rolled down, revealing the Admiral's grinning face. Titohoru noticed that his eyes had black areas underneath them. "Did you get any sleep, Admiral?" The Admiral sighed before motioning Titohoru to get inside the car. He complied, climbing into the empty passenger seat and placing the folder on his lap. He gazed back at the C-17 and its crew, who were hard at work with unloading the supplies it carried. The trucks that followed the BMW began to get their payload.

Titohoru tried to get comfortable as the leather seat rubbed against his clothes, making him feel itchy. The driver began driving back to where they came from, and Titohoru started his new journey with an uncomfortable ride. There was silence for a few minutes.

"Did you finish reading the files?" The Admiral suddenly asked. Titohoru let out a worried sigh, scratching his head.

"I wasn't able to get past the procedures of functioning the machines, sorry," Titohoru replied, ready to get chewed out for a failing a simple task. The car drove by multiple hangars which housed several F-16 and F-35 fighters. Titohoru looked at the weaponized jets in awe. The car moved on, the planes soon leaving his view. His attention turned back to the Admiral.

"It takes about a week or two to finish the file for most who read it," The Admiral said, sighing. "Don't stress it, but make sure to finish it as fast as possible. Things will get confusing for you if you don't." The teen nodded in understanding. "Oh! I also need to give you this." The officer reached in the bag which lay against his legs. His hands reappeared with a folder similar to the one Titohoru had.

"What's this?

"A town on the western coast of France was attacked last night," the Admiral informed the teen. Titohoru looked at him in confusion; the Admiral completely ignored his question. He let out a sigh, listening to the Admiral.

"We are _this _to war with the Sirens." He pinched his fingers together, leaving a tiny gap between them. "And we have no idea of where they're operating of stationing their forces from. For some reason, our reconnaissance can't pick up any of their movements. We're in the dark on everything." The officer then pointed to the file in his hands.

"That file is about each shipgirl or SG," the Admira began. Titohoru noticed that they finally left the airfield, turning onto a road that led them past several buildings. "Also, you will be involved in tactical and operation meetings starting in two days." There was a pause. "I know this is sudden, too, but you are now officially the 'Grand Fleet Admiral of Azur Lane' and will be introduced to the shipgirls of the Eagle Union." Titohoru nodded before processing the Admiral's sentence, soon becoming dumbfounded by the decision. The teen stuttered, trying to find his voice.

"Woah! Wait a minute," Titohoru blurted, "isn't there some sort of process before being an Admiral?"

Stenson shook his head. "Congress gave me and the admirals the duty of finding the next Fleet Admiral for Azur Lane," he informed Titohoru. "However, the last couple candidates did more harm than good. To make things worse, Congress has cut the amount of time for you to get properly trained."

"So there were others before me?"

The Admiral nodded. "But, almost all of them did despicable things while in the position of Fleet Admiral." Titohoru stayed silent from the gaze the Admiral had. It was probably best if he didn't know what happened. "Anyways, those recruits failed big time and now it's your turn." He turned his head, gazing out the window. "As for the attack on France: I will be attending a defensive strategy meeting tonight."

"So today, Admiral Wolvjetski, you will be getting an official tour of the Azur Lane Headquarters. This base is an artificial island constructing in the mid-1990s. It functions as one of our main operating bases in U.S. soil," the Admiral said professionally. He pointed out the window and Titohoru followed it, realizing that there was nothing but sea to gaze at. He was startled before realizing he was on a bridge. _Bridge! When was there ever a bridge on Hawaii! _The two Admirals sat in silence as they watched the shining reflections of the sea. There were a few vessels on the water, including an aircraft carrier and two light cruisers. Titohoru wondered if the so-called shipgirls operated them. He then realized that he didn't get deep into the files.

"They don't operate those vessels," the Admiral answered. He jumped at the sudden response. "Lots of officers wonder the same thing, too." The Admiral then went on to explain that the pre-ship girl warships were manned by a naval crew, but the shipgirls themselves equipped 'rigging' for their weapons."

"But... how were the shipgirls even made in the first place?" Titohoru asked. He noticed that they finally exited the bridge and were on another island.

"From the blueprints of the pre-SG ships," the Admiral answered immediately. "They work as counterparts and do almost all of their sorties together." As they continued driving, their view of the ships vanished. The vehicle finished its brief journey over the water as they were once again driving on land. "The files will tell you everything, so no need to sweat it."

Then, the car slowed to a stop as Titohoru watched a person walk up to the vehicle. He asked for ID, followed by a brief moment, then the car was on the move again. _Must've been a gate check or something. _They drove around for a small bit before turning sharply into a parking lot. Stopping the vehicle suddenly, the driver turning off the engine. The Admiral opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle. Titohoru did the same, although he grabbed Jefferson while he was at it. He didn't want his pet to die of heatstroke.

"This is the Base Support Officers," The Admiral introduced to the teen. The building had a standard building look: square with the exterior made of brick. "They will be transporting your luggage to the room you will be living in from now on." The Admiral walked into the office with Titohoru on his tail. The teen noticed that the Admiral's aid wasn't with them. He looked back to see the vehicle being unloaded by the man along with the driver.

Walking inside the building, Titohoru felt the refreshing cold of the air conditioning. He began to freeze from his sweat cooling around his body. He didn't realize how sweaty he was until then. The teen looked around the building, absorbing its contents. A lady sat behind a desk, greeting them with a smile. There were chairs on both sides of him, giving people a place to sit when waiting. The room they were in had a bland look; the walls were white while the floor was navy blue. Admiral Stenson walked over to the woman working the front desk.

"How may I help you today, Admiral Stenson?" the office lady asked the officer.

"I need the luggage to be sent to the recruit's quarters as soon as possible," Stenson replied, turning to the teen. He motioned with his hand to give him something. Titohoru stood there confused, before realizing that he wanted Jefferson. He gave the bald eagle over to the Admiral, who gave it the lady. "Also, transfer Jefferson over to the quarters as well." The woman nodded, but the teen saw a forced smile plastered on her face. It was her first time handling an animal like Jefferson.

Titohoru gave the woman a small smile before he was ushered by the Admiral. They began to walk down a hallway that led out of the main service room. The Admiral began to point out various areas from the windows using his finger. Titohoru looked at the different buildings, each having its function for the Navy. However, the amount of knowledge the Admiral spat out was beyond the amount Titohoru could absorb. Soon, he forgot most of the buildings' names and their functions.

The Admiral led him out of the Base Support Offices onto the concrete walkways. The concrete walkway covered most of the ground, with some areas of grass where trees were growing. The other areas were mulched flower beds that housed rose bushes and various shrubbery. Titohoru noticed that there were very few people on the walkways, despite the path being so large. He shrugged the thought off, telling himself that it was the middle of working hours.

The two men continued down the path which led to a gate. By the entrance of it, an armed guard was standing there. The man was holding an M4 rifle and had an M9 pistol in his holster. He smiled at the Admiral before asking for his ID. The Admiral complied, then stated that Titohoru was with him. In a few seconds, they continued their walk with the guard saluting the Admiral.

"You're now officially in Azur Lane Pacific HQ," the Admiral informed Titohoru, a grin on his face. "This is where you will spend most of your days: Serving in the inner-gates of the base." Titohoru looked around at the new environment. They walked past a building that looked like a college education building. Admiral Stenson seemed to notice his gaze of confusion. "That's the Lecture Hall."

"Lecture... Hall? So is that for the cadets?" The Admiral began to laugh at him, making the teen feel embarrassed. _Did I say something wrong? _Titohoru felt his embarrassment turn to agitation. It took a little bit, but the Admiral began to settle down from his laughing fit. "What did you find funny about that?" The Admiral sat down on a bench near them. He placed his arm on the back rest and crossed his legs.

"You didn't get too far into the files, did ya?" Titohoru shrugged at the question, looking up at the building. The Admiral began to explain the building's function. "The Lecture Hall was built as a place for the shipgirls to study. They study to gain experience so they can fight the Sirens more efficiently." The teen frowned at the explanation. Then he looked around the area.

"Speaking of shipgirls, where are they right now?"

"Most of girls are on patrols, exercising, or on commissions. We also sent out two of our main fleets to sortie on the East coast of South America three weeks ago," the Admiral informed the man, answering his question. "Kind of a shame; I was hoping to have you meet one of them today." There was a moment of silence. Titohoru looked at the Admiral, only to see the man's eyes gleam in joy. "Never mind, there is one shipgirl I can introduce you to. Besides, I need to have a chat with her about something." Standing from the bench, the Admiral began walking. Titohoru followed him, his shoulder's becoming tired from carrying his backpack. _I should've left it with the lady._

Ten minutes into the trip and the teen's shoulders began to ache. He didn't realize that his backpack was so heavy, and he didn't remember what was in it either besides his laptop and tablet. He panted feeling the heat of the sun beating down on him. Looking to the Admiral, Titohoru also noticed the back of his head glistening with sweat. _Hopefully it's not like this all the time. _During their walk, the Admiral pointed out the different buildings along the way. Titohoru was informed about the canteen and merchant shop, which were on the other side of the base. They passed a building labeled the "Tactical Classroom".

"This is where the shipgirls study, which leads to their abilities being enhanced," the Admiral informed the teen. "And like most of the buildings here, the files will inform you on the advanced things." Their walked continued for another minute.

Titohoru looked ahead, seeing a two story building that had crates lying by the front walls. He heard the Admiral mutter something about a "damn cat"? The teen couldn't help but become confused by the words. "Cats, Admiral?" The Admiral's head swung around to him.

"You will understand in a little bit," the Admiral answered, his pace increasing. Titohoru stayed on his tail. They passed the purple and black colored boxes. Looking closer, Titohoru saw the word "Tech" followed by the number three on the side. _Must be equipment of some sort. _The two men entered the building, a bell ringing to signal their entrance. Titohoru looked around, but only saw shelves that stacked fifteen feet high. Resting on them were crates of all colors; books colored, red, yellow, and blue; boxes labeled "food and drink supplies; and containers that had grey, blue, and purple tiles laying in them. Titohoru gazed closer at the containers, reaching his hands out to hold it. It was smacked down by the Admiral.

"Don't touch anything," he told the teen, his voice low. "Otherwise I won't hear the end of it from that woman." Titohoru gave a silent nod, retracting his arms from the shelves. The Admiral walked down the middle aisle, towards a counter with a register.

"Admiral Stenson, it's been-nya while since you've visited-nya," Titohoru perked his head up to the voice. Between the words, he swore he could hear the voice meowing as well. "How may I serve you today-nya?" He followed the voice, walking down the aisle towards the counter. He saw the Admiral leaning against it, his elbows resting on top. Titohoru stood next to him, waiting for the other person to appear. There was a doorway offset to the right: the voice must've came from there.

"I need another order of equipment crates: Tier 4 to be exact," the Admiral responded. There was silence.

"Is that so-nya?" Then, footsteps lightly tapped the ground. A "meow" was heard in the other room. The footsteps got louder, and the person came through the door.

For a moment, Titohoru just stood there, dumbfounded at the sight before him. Standing in front of him was a small, green haired girl who was carrying a golden box. He didn't expect a girl to be on the base, but he was even more shocked about her ears. They were cat ears that matched the color of her hair: green. The furry body parts were standing tall and proud.

Titohoru then examined her face. The first thing he noticed were her eyes staring right back at him. The bright amber orbs shone in delight. She had a smile that almost seemed adorable (in his view at least). Her hair draped past her waist, almost touching the ground. The outfit she was wearing draped over her arms and down her torso. It seemed to be oversized.

"Ah, this is new commyander, isn't it?" she asked. The Admiral nodded.

"Titohoru Wolvjetski, this is the very first Japanese ship to be constructed with the wisdom cubes." He held his hand out, introducing the shipgirl, who let out a meow. "She is the IJN Akashi, a Japanese repair ship who serves in the Sakura Empire."

"Hello, Commyander," she said, her adorable smile radiating.

"Uh... Hello, Akashi," Titohoru responded, trying to find his words. "If you don't mind me asking: Why do you have cat ears?" The was a short silence.

The Admiral was the first to answer. "When she was constructed in the chambers, the wisdom cubes gave her body parts linked to another species of animal." Akashi nodded in agreement, then continued her work. She lifted the golden box, setting the item on the counter. She looked at the teen.

Another question lurked in Titohoru's head. "Wait, if you're a Japanese ship, shouldn't she have gone back to Japan."

"Akashi refused to go back to Japan," the Admiral answered a second time. "She acknowledged as being a part in Azur Lane when Japan defected in 2011." The officer rubbed his nosed. "Now, she runs an ammunition shop that supplies the shipgirls here. However, her items are _overpriced._"

"That's your opinyion-nya!" She shouted from the storage room.

"Hey! You promised me 70% off on the last 5 Tier 4 crates!" The shipgirl entered from the doorway once again, looking at the Admiral with a smile. "Don't give me that face!" Akashi laughed at his reaction before moving in and out of the rooms, carrying the remaining golden boxes. "Besides, why are all of those crates outside the shop?"

"I had out of space-nya." The Admiral sighed while Akashi placed the last golden crate on the counter. "This will cost 25,000 coins." The Admiral coughed when he heard the price, most likely out of surprise. Titohoru couldn't blame him.

"You scammed me once, cat! Never again!" The Admiral yelled. "Rock, Paper, Scissors. You know the conditions."

"Indeed."

The two began to stare down at each other; the Admiral glaring while Akashi expressed a stern look. The tension in the room began to rise as the other began the showdown. Titohoru, however, was surprised on how things got so stupid. There must of been a more suitable way to negotiate.

"Okay," the Admiral began, "Rock!"

"Paper-nya!"

"Scissors!"

They duo flashed their hand at each other. The Admiral had his first balled up while Akashi had her hand open.

"DAMMIT!"

The shipgirl laughed in delight. "Thank you for your patronage-nya!" The Admiral sighed, taking a golden-colored card out. He gave it to Akashi, who swiped it through the cash register. There was a beep from the machine as Akashi handed the card back.

"Have them delivered to the storage units by the dorms," the Admiral ordered. He looked down at his wrist, his watch glistening in the light. "Well, I have a meeting to attend to. Akashi, keep Titohoru company for some time." Akashi gave out a confused meow.

"Wah-Wait! Admiral, surely I can join you to the meeting," Titohoru objected,"You've promoted me to Admiral, right?" He didn't feel comfortable around the shipgirl. It had been ten minutes since they met each other for the first time.

"Sorry, Wolvjetski, but this meeting is one you cannot attend." The Admiral walked out of the building, leaving Titohoru alone with the mischievous cat-girl. There was a silence as the door closed. Titohoru stood there, dumbfounded at the Admiral's action. He sighed, taking a seat on one of the high-standing stools adjacent from the counter. _He could've at least told me the location of my dorm. _He looked at Akashi, who stared right back at him. Her green hair flowing over her shoulders.

"So you're the new Commyander, huh?" she guessed. "From the way you look, I guess that you won't survive long here." The teen scoffed at the girl.

"Yeah, yeah, I already know I'm not the first new recruit," Titohoru responded. He flattened his hands on the counter top.

"At least you have some training from the Navy-nya," Akashi piped up. Titohoru then noticed she was holding a screw driver. Titohoru gazed at her point of interest: a device that lay in front of her. "You should be fine for the most part-nya!" He twiddled his thumbs, silent from her speech. She looked up at the teen and stopped on the device she was working on. "What's wrong-nya?"

"The thing is... how should I put this?" He took in a deep breath. "I actually don't have any military experience." Silence filled the air as Akashi stared at him in disbelief. Her eyes went from playful to serious in a flash. _Why do I feel like I'm about to get chewed out._

"Why are the high command officers so stupid-nya!" She yelled. Titohoru flinched from the explosive response. "First the perverted officers, now this-nya!"

_"_Wa-wait, perverted! Hold on a second, Akashi!" The shipgirl, however, gave a 'hmph' before turning around. Somewhere in him, Titohoru died a little. He was already being denied by one of his subordinates on the first day. "What do you mean by perverted?" Akashi turned her head a little, her left glaring at the teen.

"The Admiral didn't tell you-nya?" Titohoru shook his head. "Well then, let me give you a brief record of history for the last 6 years-nya." He stared at Akashi, his eyes and ears completely focused on her. "In 2014, High Command suggested that recruits for Grand Admiral of Azur Lane be collected-nya." She turned around, leaning against the counter top. Her joyful, mischievous aura had changed to a dark, bitter one. "After the first recruit entered as Grand Admiral, things went smoothly for a couple weeks-nya. Soon after-nya, he began to grope certain places. Not in public, but in a discrete manner-nya."

"Soon, things got drastically worse-nya. When no one else was around, he began to commit more heinous acts-nya. The groping became more frequent, especially to Enterprise, St. Louis, and North Carolinya." She stopped briefly, collecting her thoughts. "We protested, refusing to cooperate or take orders until he was removed. High Command dishonorably discharged the recruit and sent him to jail for sexual assault-nya. However, the other two would do similar acts, too-nya." Titohoru stayed silent, but he felt anger boiling inside him. _Why didn't the Admiral tell me about such things. _His eyes stayed on Akashi, her expression still grim from the past recollection. He was going to have a talk with the Admiral later.

"I'm sorry that happened to you and the others," Titohoru spoke up. Akashi nodded, continuing on the device. He looked behind him and outside the window. The sky was orange: the color of dusk. "Akashi." She didn't look up from her work. "Just know that I will not be like _them_." He stood up from the stool and grabbed his backpack. "Thank you for your hospitality, Akashi."

She then spoke up. "I will be holding that to you-nya." Titohoru looked back, seeing the cat girl smile once again. "I'm willing to trust you, for now. However, I believe the other shipgirls will be reluctant to help you-nya."

He nodded, walking through the aisle and to the door. The teen stopped just ahead of the door. Turning around, he looked at Akashi. "Would you mind telling me where the dorms are?" The cat girl laughed, mainly at him, though. He didn't mind; after the dark story he heard, Titohoru was glad that she was smiling so quickly.

"You really have no military training-nya, do you?" She smiled widely at him. "Here, let me show you-nya!"


	5. Relations Begin Now

_**Commander **_

Titohoru yawned, blinking rapidly to avoid closing his eyes. He was tired, exhausted from the traveling he did early in the day. Along with it, the Admiral's tour around the buildings followed by Akashi's quick tour down the beach wearied him out more. He refocused on the files he reading, skipping to the last page. There the 10 lines of the prophecy were exposed, their words unknown to the world. He sighed as he read the lines. His mind then drifted to the last interaction he had with Akashi, who told him about the prophecy.

_"These are our Anti-Air weaponry positioned near the shores-nya,_" _she introduced to him. He looked up at the cannons, their dark barrels standing in the air, ready to defend the island. "We haven't used them-nya, but High Command believes that will change soon-nya." Her facial expression became gloomy. The two stayed silent, continuing their walk. A small portion of the sun was above the horizon. The burnt orange sky was decorated with grayish clouds like smoke drifting. "Anyaways, you meet the Eagle Union shipgirls tomorrow, right." Titohoru looked down to her._

_"You'll be there, right Akashi?" He asked. _

_She nodded. "Yes, and Amagi will be present as well-nya."_

_"Amagi?"_

_"She was created after the IJN Amagi-Class Battleship-nya," Akashi began to explain. "However, when Kaga went rogue, she was the flagship that had lead a rescue force-nya. We fought the Sirens on the inner islands of Japan and Amagi was damaged severelnya." There was a pause. "The task force was successful and Amagi was treated to her wounds-nya. However, she became weaker because of the injuries she obtained._

_When the Sakura Empire broke from Azur Lane-nya, they left me and Amagi; they decided she was unfit to serve the Empire-nya." They two stood there, watching as the sun disappeared from the horizon, the sky beginning to turn black._

_"Where is she now?" Titohoru asked. _

_"She helps with strategy meetings-nya," Akashi answered. "She is a true strategist, one of the Big Four in Azur Lane." _

_Titohoru nodded. "I guess I should prepare for the meeting tomorrow. Maybe write myself a speech." He let out a 'hmm', thinking for what to say for tomorrow's event. Akashi snickered at him. He scowled in return. Their footsteps kicked up small particles of sand. _

_"__You could mention the prophecy-nya." _

_He frowned. "The Admiral mentioned the prophecy a couple of times, but I don't know anything about it," Titohoru replied. They walked up a flight of stairs that connected the Academy area to the beach shore. _

_"It's on the last page of the documents-nya," Akashi informed him. He replied with thanks, before asking more about it. "No one understands it-nya, not even me." The two stopped, looking at the shore. "But it says that the fulfiller of the prophecy will vanquish all-nya-Sirens off the earth." The pair walked along the grounds of the base before reaching a one-story building. "These are the dorms-nya!"_

He stared at the wall behind the folder. _The IJN Amagi. Can't wait to meet her. _He sighed, turning to look at the bed. There, his new uniforms lay untouched. The teen remembered entering the room with them lying, untouched along with a note. He walked over to the bed once again to read it, his eyes tired and flaring with pain as he struggled to keep them awake.

**_Report to the Center of Campus Grounds in NWUs at 0700 Hours. _**

He discarded the note to the side, his attention focused on the clothing. There were four uniforms in all: two of the digital camouflage NWUs, one that looked like a black suit, and a white variation of the same suit. Four shoulder straps came with the two suit uniforms with an insignia. If Titohoru had to guess, the two suits were his dress uniforms.

He yawned again; he was getting tired by the second. _Might as well call it a day. _He moved his uniforms to a small walk-in closet in the corner of his room. Hanging up his clothing, he turned around, absorbing the contents of his room. Right across from the closet was a small bathroom that includes a shower. In the center of the room was a bed that hugged the right wall. A nightstand stood by the bed. A desk with his chair was placed adjacent to the bed, followed by a small built-in kitchen in the corner, next to the room door. His luggage was set alongside the opposite, below a TV that hung above, in front of the bed. The room itself was quite large for a dorm, but Titohoru didn't complain. _They were generous with this room. _

He looked on the nightstand: Jefferson's cage sat there, the eagle sleeping. He smiled, turning the lights and walking to the bed. He laid down, pulling the sheets over him. Doing so, he closed his eyes and went to sleep. Thoughts circulated in his mind nervously, wondering what tomorrow was going to be like.

**(* * *)**

The ringing of the alarm blared in Titohoru's ears. He woke up abruptly, groaning from the noise. His sensitive ears were burning with pain. His hand came down on top of the machine, silencing it. He opened his eyes, which were met with a faint light that touched the ceiling. His head ached, still not used to the time zone change. Turning his head, he read the time on the alarm clock: 6:45.

_Shit! _He shot up from his bed, scrambling to get his work uniform ready while turning the shower nozzle left. Water sprayed out through the showerhead. He reached out his hand to test the temperature; the water was freezing. He yanked back his hand, rubbing the limb to keep it warm. He ran back out into the main room, setting his uniform on the bed neatly. After doing so, he ran back into the shower and tested the water once more; it was at a nice, warm temperature. Taking off his clothing, he jumped in (quite literally) and began to wash himself down.

A few minutes in the bathroom, he got dressed in his NWUs. Titohoru headed out of his room. The door opened and closed, becoming locked. The young adult checked his pockets; his room key and phone were present. Sighing in relief, he jogged through the corridor, before finding an exit. Soon, he was on his way to the center of the base. However, his thoughts stopped, screaming at him to remember his pet.

"Shit!" He muttered. He forgot to feed Jefferson breakfast during that time. He looked over at the cage, the bird gazing at him, his head turning every which way. He hesitated, but grabbed the cage in the end; he was going to bring Jefferson to training.

The pathways were crowded with personnel as they moved with and past Titohoru. He jogged towards his destination, weaving through his comrades. Some gave him off looks before going back to their own business. It didn't take long before he was in the circle on concrete with the statue of an anchor suspended in the air. He rushed towards, apologizing to people he interrupted. He looked ahead; the Admiral stood by the fountain, arms folded. Titohoru then noticed a small jeep with a truck bed that was near the Admiral. As the young adult got closer, he recognized an irritated and impatient look plastered on his face. At that moment, he felt dread pierce his heart: it was going to be hell for him. The Admiral saw him, his irritation fading slightly, but his annoyed expression stayed behind. After, he emanated confusion, watching Titohoru carry the birdcage.

Titohoru ran up to the officer. "Apologies, sir!" He said loudly. The people around the two kept walking, their business waiting for them. The Admiral held up his hand, which said "enough". The teen stopped, then began relaxing beside him.

"Why did you bring Jefferson?" Stenson looked at the teen with amusement. "Ha! You're gonna let him train too, aren't ya?"

The teen sighed. "I forgot to feed him, so I was hoping to find something he could eat at the canteen later." The Admiral didn't say anything, rather he just nodded to the teen.

"I would go ask Akashi for pet food; she seems to have everything nowadays." The Admiral released a chuckle. He studied the surroundings. "We'll wait until the area has cleared up a little," Stenson said. "Not enough room to begin your basic training. Hate to say it, but this place isn't good to train on. Except for the shipgirls, that is." He held out his hand. "Give me the cage; I got some safety ropes to strap the cage to the cart." Titohoru obliged, handing over the eagle. At first, Jefferson rustled around when switching carriers, but nothing else happened. Titohoru smiled at the eagle; it seemed his pet was more adapted to the new surroundings than he was.

The two waited for ten minutes, both silent to each other. Titohoru yawned, realizing the fatigue from the sleep he missed out on. He shook his body, hoping to wake him up enough. The Admiral stood there, examining the area as the crowd of people began to fade out, leaving a few stragglers walking around the proximity. It wasn't long before the Admiral announced the beginning of his training.

"Admiral Wolvjetski, Cadet Admiral, for now, you will begin your basic training for the Navy starting today," he began, informing the teenager. Titohoru stood at attention, listening intently. "I believe you already understand the type of 'activities' we will go through." He paced back and forth in front of the cadet.

Titohoru responded, "Yes sir."

"But!" The Admiral halted his pace, turning to face him, "I will be adding another layer to your training since you will lead the Azur Lane organization. Each day, I will question you during your physical training; a different topic each day." Titohoru stared in disbelief. _Aw shit. Now I got schoolwork to deal with during this. _"Since it's your first day, and I'm a nice guy." He flashed a smile at the teen. "We will be starting with the very basics: the four main factions of Azur Lane."

"Now Wolvjetski, I've set up markers around the square to give you a running path." He pointed behind the teen. Titohoru looked to see tall, thin green cones standing some feet apart. "Now. GET MOVING!"

Titohoru jumped at the raise of the Admiral's voice. It frightened him as he wasn't expecting it to happen. He began to pick up his feet, turning around to begin his basic training. He ran towards the first set of cones, the light thudding of his feet infiltrating his mind. It was the only thing he could focus on. He passed through, seeing another set of cones in the distance. He let out a breathy sigh, moving on. The aching of his legs, which gave off a burning sensation, began to appear as he moved. Looking down he saw his legs covered by his dark blue uniform. They were pacing back and forth like pistons.

Then, the loud sound of humming followed him from behind. He glanced over his shoulder. The sight of the Admiral appeared before him, his body sitting comfortably in small utility jeep as he drove next to Titohoru. "Okay, Wolvjetski! Let's begin your first examination!" _Hell. _The electric cart surged next to him, the Admiral giving a mischievous grin. Titohoru glared at him in kind. "Don't look at your superiors like that! Now, tell me the four main factions of Azur Lane."

The thoughts began to process inside his brain, but the aching began to amplify, giving him a hard time to concentrate. "Sir!" he sucked in a breath of warm, humid air. "The four main factions in Azur Lane are the Eagle Union, Royal Navy, Iron Blood, and Sakura Empire." Their running path turned to the left, avoiding a collision with the Munition Building. The purple crates were still present.

"Good! Now, can you tell me what Azur Lane's mission is, Wolvjetski?" The sound of the engine made his question barely audible, but Titohoru managed to understand it.

"To eradicate the Sirens that lurk in the oceans, Sir!"

"Good, now tell me how we came to have technology such as the shipgirls."

Titohoru was ready to answer. "High Command was visited by an unknown person assumed to be an extraterrestrial being, Sir! He gave the military information on how to manufacture wisdom cubes and how to develop shipgirls." His speaking halted as he took in a breath of air. "Given the wisdom cubes by the being, the naval coalition created Akashi, the first shipgirl. Akashi was given the knowledge on how to create the wisdom cubes and spread the information to Azur Lane, giving us the ability to mass-produce shipgirls to fight against the Sirens."

The sound of clapping was heard. "Very good, Wolvjetski." The Admiral smiled to him, steering with his knees as he drove.

"In the end, we were able to create a shipgirl, each with the blueprints of our normal ships that are manned by crews and ship captains," Titohoru finished. His legs were burning with pain as teeth ached from the cool air he sucked in. "The wisdom cubes are also used for the creation of the shipgirls' weapons."

The Admiral nodded, staying with the pace of the runner. "Unfortunately, wisdom cubes aren't compatible with other weaponry; such as guns and tanks." Titohoru saw him crack a smile. "Now Wolvjetski, GET ON YOUR FACE!"

The chain of words was all too familiar with him, as a memory of father explaining the phrase echoed through his brain. _Father. _ Titohoru stopped and dropped to the ground in push-up form, arms extended. His ears caught the jeep's engine as it went silent. Footsteps tapped the ground as the teen heard his next orders being issued. "Now, give me thirty good ones!" His arms bent to the order, descending to the ground. Right before his chest touched the ground, he pushed back up. Titohoru repeated the process. "Tell me, Wolvjetski, can you explain to me the current status of Azur Lane!"

"Yes, Sir . . ." There was silence between the two. The teen was moving at a fast pace. "The Sakura Empire and Iron Blood factions broke from Azur Lane eight years ago. Reasons have not been discovered, but intelligence has found that they have created the _Crimson Axis._" His head counted his fifteenth push-up. He paused, catching his breath and collecting his thoughts. "Along with this formation, they have been seen conspiring with the Sirens in the Mediterranean Sea and the Arctic Ocean." He began his exercise once again.

"Right now, the Eagle Union and Royal Navy are struggling to defend their territory in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Forces are spread thin and the Sirens have been recorded to grow in numbers." Titohoru felt his arms go numb at the 25th pushup. He brought himself down but struggled to bring himself back up. He exhaled deeply, able to fight his way back to the starting stance. "This split between the four main factions has caused the minor factions to question allegiances." He was able to pump out the next five pushups before falling onto his face in exhaustion. _I need to go to the gym._

"Very good, Wolvjetski," the Admiral's voice caught his ears. "However, you're physical training is a bit lacking compared to your academics. Now, get up and continue running!" Titohoru stood up, panting. Taking his first steps in the jog, stinging erupted from his side. There was nothing he could do to calm the pain. He gritted his teeth, bearing with it as his training continued for the next three hours.

The training went faster than he expected, but it still felt agonizing slow. Titohoru bent over and exhaled loudly, trying to catch his breath. His head felt light, the blood running a marathon. His shirt and face were soaked in sweat. His arms and legs were numb with exhaustion. _It's finally over. _He stood up straight after catching his breath and turned his head. The Admiral was looking down at his phone. Jefferson, however, was out of his cage, perched on a bar attached to the vehicle. "Jefferson! How did you get out?"

"He somehow picked the lock." The Admiral's response was monotone. He was still looking at his phone screen. "I was going to tell you about it, but I didn't want you to get stressed about it." The teen stared at the Admiral in disbelief. "What? Hey look, I didn't know your bird was a master lockpicker!"

Titohoru frowned, turning to look at the eagle. He snapped his fingers at Jefferson, and the bird jumped from the jeep. Jefferson glided before landing on Titohoru's shoulder, spinning around to face the same direction as the teen. "There we go, Jefferson." He used two fingers to stroke the bird's head. Jefferson began beak grating as a sign of happiness. "I see you're cheerful, boy." He smiled at the bird, whose claws were lightly planted on his shoulder. The peaceful moment was interrupted by his growling stomach.

"Damn it, Wolvjetski," the admiral said sternly. "You got to take care of yourself." The officer reached into his uniform suit and pulled out a cigar with his hand. He cut off the end of it and pulled out lighter with the other hand. Lighting it, he held it in his mouth for a couple of seconds before dragging it away, puffing out a few clouds of smoke. "Go to the canteen and get some chow. After that, go clean yourself up before your meeting." Wolvjetski nodded, grabbing the cage from the jeep cart. The Admiral must've known his intentions. "Also, Jefferson is allowed to be outside of his cage, so you don't need to carry it around anymore."

"Is that really okay?" Titohoru asked.

"Shouldn't be a problem."

The two looked at each other for some time. Wolvjetski broke the silence by giving his temporary farewell before heading off to the canteen, Jefferson on his shoulder and the cage in his hand.

**(* * *) **

The air conditioning of the facility hit Titohoru like a cold front; he was freezing. The sweat on his body began to cool, leaving him to deal with the new bone-chilling temperature. However, he preferred it to the hellish humid weather outside. The building was mostly empty with a few people in navy uniforms eating and the kitchen staff working. He walked over to the food line and grabbed a tray. A staff member of the building walked up to him and smiled, before averting her gaze to the bald eagle. Her expression went from forced happiness to confusion before changing to amusement. Titohoru told the women what he wanted to eat along with something for Jefferson. She nodded and told him to wait in the line.

Titohoru stood in the line, tapping the tray as Jefferson's claws poked his shoulder through the uniform. His eyes wandered as he caught the gazes of a group of four sitting at a small table. They looked at him, and he stared right back. It was an awkward moment.

"Don't mind them, Jefferson," Titohoru told his pet. There wasn't a thought of hesitation to tell the eagle, even though the bird didn't understand the teen. "Never mind, it's not like you can understand me anyways." The eagle looked at him blankly. Titohoru sighed, feeling stupid. Turning back to the group of four, he saw that they had turned their attention away. He exhaled calmly, relieved that they ask him questions about him and Jefferson. It was illegal to own a bald eagle, except for the exemption Titohoru obtained.

The lady working the cafeteria line came back and handed him his meal. He thanked her before moving to the cashier, who was waiting quietly for him. The teen set down his tray and grabbed his wallet. Opening it, he looked at the pitiful sight of being near broke with cash; thirteen dollars barely covered the cost of his meal. In return from paying, he got $1.35 back. Placing the money in his wallet, Titohoru picked up his tray and went to the nearest table. His stomach grumbled; he looked at the food, saliva flooding his mouth.

He sat down and whistled at Jefferson, who jumped onto the table. The french fry he grabbed burned his fingers, but he endured the painful sensation. Titohoru held the fried potato straw in front of his animal friend, who respectively grabbed the food with his beak and ate it. Jefferson then grabbed the main course of his meal; a cheeseburger that was decked out with all sorts of toppings.

"That is a beautiful animal you have there." The voice made Titohoru jump slightly, as he was lost in the bliss of eating his food. Even though it was surprising, the voice sounded calm and melodic. "Oh! My apologies; I didn't mean to surprise you."

"No, no, it's alright." He responded turning his head and looking up. The sight before him was strange but also marvelous as a pair of orbs looked back at him. The eyes he saw were not normal, but they were beautiful in their own way. The shade of a fading purple stole his gaze as crimson irises studied his face as he did the same.

Titohoru looked up slightly to see two red markings above her forehead. They were paired a little bit closer together than her eyes and covered by her brunette bangs. Raising his sight to the top of her head, he stared in awe at the two ears that poked up to the ceiling, white fuzz covering the inside of them. _She must be a shipgirl, like Akashi. _He then looked down do study her dress.

It was no-where near normal, that was a fact. He could guarantee that the shipgirl in front of him would stick out like a sore thumb. Titohoru knew it was a Japanese style dress, but he couldn't remember what it was called. Her dress was purple with a silver pattern covering the fabric. Near her legs were pictures of birds, cranes to be specific, with the edge of the fabric being a bright red. Her outer garment was the same red, big arms holes draping off her forearms. Around her torso seemed to a metal plate with a gold plate of the crest of a flower, a sakura flower. It was the symbol of the Sakura Empire.

_Amagi. _

The word echoed through his mind as he shot up from his seat. The shipgirl in front of him became startled, gazing into his eyes with a calm expression.

"My apologies for not knowing who you were, Amagi!" Titohoru said. There was a long silence. Titohoru felt himself become more embarrassed by the second, knowing he must've sounded strange for blurting out like that.

"It is alright, Titohoru Wolvjetski." The same voice he heard before echoed in his ear. It was soothing, calming his nerves. He looked up at Amagi, who was giving him a warm smile. "Or should I say, Commander." There was a small pause. "It seems that Akashi told you about me."

"Well, your name was introduced when we were talking about the different commanders . . ." He trailed off, realizing the history. Amagi's expression saddened a little. However, it immediately jumped back to a warm smile. "Ah, I apologize for bringing up a bad memory."

"It is fine, Commander," she responded with ease. Titohoru stood there uncomfortably, not used to the new title. "Now, let me formally introduce myself."

**I'm sorry for being bad with time management. Right before I try to write many times, I get on AL and then the thought of writing vanishes from my head.**

**I apologize.**

**Message on Sunday, January 5 - A new chapter will be published on January 8th. **


	6. A Tense Introduction

**Dear readers, I apologize that this wasn't published sooner. I also apologize if the personalities of the shipgirls in this chapter are different from the game's perspective. Due to lack of good RNG or missed events, I may not have the proper personalities. -Thank you for understanding.**

**Commander**

The canteen was quiet as very little noise was present between Titohoru and Amagi. Titohoru sat in silence, watching as the shipgirl stroked the feathers on Jefferson. He watched Amagi's peaceful smile as her violet orbs glimmered in delight towards the animal. Titohoru smiled at the scene.

_I am the IJN Amagi of the Sakura Empire Faction._ Those words echoed through his head. _Because of the decision made by Sakura Empire High Command, I was deemed unfit to serve and left here._ The sentence made him feel pity for the shipgirl; after serving so many years in her empire, she was abandoned. "That must be pretty tough," he whispered.

"There's no need to feel pity for me, Commander," her voice ripped Titohoru away from his thoughts. He looked to Amagi, her smile unfazed. She must've heard his words.

"Ah! Sorry . . . I didn't mean to bring up anything painful for you." There was a short silence, the human-fox girl still stroking Jefferson feathers. The eagle seemed to like the interaction. "You know, Jefferson has never let anyone but me touch him before." He wanted to change the subject.

"Commander, it's alright if you want to know the whole story," Amagi replied, shooting down his attempt to do so.

"I just don't want to reopen old wounds." Amagi stopped petting Jefferson, who then flew over and jumped onto Titohoru's shoulder. "Also, I don't really have the right to poke through your past." Amagi laughed lightly at the statement. "What?"

"You're the Grand Fleet Admiral of Azur Lane, Commander," Amagi reminded him. "As a shipgirl of Azur Lane, you have complete authority to ask anything from me and the other shipgirls." Her emotions calmed down. "At least, authority with those who are willing to recognize you as Commander."

Titohoru remembered the conversation with Akashi. He looked down at his empty plate of food as he considered his relationship with the other shipgirls. "Right, I seem to have taken on a hard job. No wait, I'm the person standing between the Sirens, aren't I?" Amagi nodded in agreement. "Shit," he muttered. He knew that the previous Azur Lane Admirals did not help his current position. "There goes any relaxing," he muttered. The shipgirl let out a soft chuckle.

"Don't stress it too much, Commander," Amagi assured him. "I feel that you're different from the other Commanders in some way." Titohoru raised an eyebrow at the fox-girl. She gazed over to Jefferson; the eagle watched them converse. "That eagle: a beautiful creature, no?"

"He is one of a kind," Titohoru remarked, agreeing with her. He stroked Jefferson carefully, feeling the soft texture of his feathers. Amagi stood there, her gaze still unmoving. "Wait, you think Jefferson has something to do with that?"

"You two share a deep bond, don't you?"

He looked to the eagle. "Well, I wouldn't say it like that. . . but we might. I don't even know if he can understand me." His eyes lingered to the clock hanging on the wall in front of him. It was 12:00 P.M., one hour before the briefing with the Eagle Union shipgirls. "Ah! My apologies, Amagi, but I will have to excuse myself." He pushed his chair away from the table standing up and grabbing his tray. He turned his head and made his way to the nearest trash can.

"Before you go, Commander, I need to warn you of some things." Titohoru turned his head back to Amagi. "There are two-no three things you should be wary of before you enter that meeting."

"And what are those?"

Amagi stayed seated, still looking up at the young man. "First, you should know that some of the shipgirls will not follow your orders no matter the purpose. Second, there will be a lot of. . . temptation; something the other commanders failed to control. And third," Amagi stood up from her chair, grabbing her umbrella, "when you are tested in front of High Command, we will be combatants on the field of battle." Titohoru stayed silent as she slid her chair underneath the table. "I will see you soon, Commander, prepare yourself."

"Wait!" She stopped and stood there, her head still. "Could you be a little more specific on those warnings?" She didn't respond as she started her pace again. Titohoru watched her until she was gone from his sight.

He ran a hand through his hair, confused about her advice. _What the hell does she mean by that?_ He didn't doubt that his future subordinates wouldn't obey his every command, but he was confused about the temptations she referred to. Throwing his trash away, he began his way back to his living quarters.

He opened the door, sunlight flooding down on him. He yawned, soon realizing that he had only six hours of sleep. He frowned at his realization before shrugging it off. Starting in a light jog, he hurried back knowing he was running short on time. For the rest of his run, he pondered on the warnings Amagi gave him.

**(* * *)**

Titohoru stood outside the classroom door, leaning against the wall. He was in the hallway, waiting to be called by the Admiral as he organized the Eagle Union shipgirls. All of them were in the Lecture Hall since it was the only place to fit everyone.

He looked at his bright white uniform, the insignia of his rank presented on his shoulder sleeve. He breathed slowly, holding his hat and leather binder tightly. Titohoru was never a good at presentations or being the center of attention with big groups. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead. He wiped it off before stressing about his appearance. _Dammit! Why do I have to be nervous now. _He wished he brought Jefferson with him; the bird had always been to calm him down. Closing his eyes, he began to focus on the silence. He held his breath; the quiet was relaxing, letting him focus on his thoughts. Exhaling, he opened his eyes, waiting to be called by the Admiral.

Titohoru put on his officer's hat before focusing on the leather binder in his other hand. He opened it, reading the information that was in the binder. The papers contained the names of the different shipgirls followed by pictures of their faces. Admiral Stenson gave him the binder right before he entered the room. _"You'll need it." _His voice echoed in Titohoru's head.

It was taking longer than Stenson promised him. He frowned, looking down each side of the hallway as he waited. He began to tap on the wall with his free hand, trying to form a rhythm with his fingers.

The door to the classroom opened and Admiral Stenson's head poked out. "You're up, Wolvjetski," he said with a grin. Titohoru exhaled, wiping off his uniform to make sure it was clean. He took a step, faltering a little as his nervousness caused him to go slightly numb. His stomach was swarming with butterflies. He remembered never wanting to be to do something like this; to be a leader. However, it was the only way to find about his father. His hand reached out and grabbed the door to hold it open. Admiral Stenson gave him a reassuring smile, leading the way as he walked back into the room.

Titohoru stepped through the door, looking out to the audience he was to greet. The first thing that surprised him was how large the room was. Seats were set in rows that formed a semi-circle around the platform that was the teaching area. The rows seemed to go forever. In the seats were the female attendees, from all heights, size, and age appearance. His eyes moved to the lowest section of audience members: a bunch of small, young girls that looked like a class of fifth-graders. He was shocked by their appearances, remembering what the files told him about their creation. _They were created in the 40s! _He couldn't comprehend that those girls were sixty years older than him.

He looked to the next group which seemed to consist of teenage girls and young women looking around his age. _Still pretty damn young! _Titohoru looked over to the Admiral, raising an eyebrow at him. The man just gave him gesture that wanted Titohoru to behold the might of the new United States Fleet.

The next group of girls seemed to be older than him as he examined their appearances. He spotted Amagi sitting with them, having a conversation with the blonde woman in a white coat. However, the fourth group consisted of young adult women, a teenager, and three middle schoolers from their appearance. He saw Akashi among that group smiling down at him, even though it seemed like an evil grin.

Tithoru's shock didn't stop as he observed at the next detail: half of them were wearing very little to nothing, especially two of the girls in the last group. _There will be a lot of. . . temptation. _The quote was the only thing echoing through Titohoru's head as he understood the warning Amagi was trying to give him. From what he was looking at, he then saw why the Admirals before him committed those crimes. _I can't blame them, _he said in his head, _those men before me had weak willpower. _

The Admiral turned to Titohoru. "The first group of shipgirls are the destroyers." He pointed to them. "The group behind them are the Light and Heavy Cruisers. Next come the Battleships and Battlecruisers." Stenson turned to the last group. "And those are the Light Carriers, Carriers, Repair Ships, and Submarines."

"Shipgirls of the Eagle Union," Admiral Stenson began, speaking through a microphone at the podium. "I would like to introduce you to the Grand Fleet Admiral of Azur Lane and your new Commander, Titohoru Wolvjetski." The was a brief period of silence. "Fleet Admiral Wolvjetski has agreed to lead the charge against the Siren threat. So now, I will give the stand to him so he can make introductions with you." Admiral Stenson moved away from the podium, urging the new Admiral to take his place. Titohoru did so moving slowly as his free hand gripped one of the sides of the podium. He placed the the leather binder on the flat surface before gripping the other side of the stand.

He hadn't spoke a word, yet, but he could see the emotions in the gazes pouring down on him. Relief, disdain, uncertainty, fear, empathy, caution, rage; Titohoru knew that most of the emotions were negative. Taking a quite breath, he gripped the podium as tight as possible before speaking.

"My name is Titohoru Wolvjetski. Since I'm new and not used to this assignment, I will be needing your help and support until I am to speed. I hope we can work to together, strong and hard, to help rid the world of the Sirens." He stopped, embracing the silence in the atmosphere. "I know there have been others before that have done questionable things to some of you." He felt the emotion in the shipgirls gazes change. "However, I do not plan to stick around after the Sirens are destroyed. So, I want to get past the taboo topic and start a fresh page: one that does not involve the previous Fleet Admirals."

The silence was still ever so present. He turned to Admiral Stenson and nodded to him. Stenson took a few steps forward to the crowd. "Do any of you have questions to ask Mr. Wolvjetski before we move to test his strategy skills." There were murmurs between the girls, hidden away from his hearing. _I don't think my introduction got through them. _

_"_Commander Wolvjetski," a voice shouted through the auditorium-like classroom. The different groups of girls went silent. Titohoru looked up to the origins of the voice. A woman that looked in her mid-20s was standing from her seat. From the distance between him and the woman, Titohoru could make out her long, delicate silver hair. She was wearing a white button-down shirt with a black, naval coat over it. Along with the top was her black skirt, with gold trimming on the edges. She was beautiful, but she was glaring daggers at the young man.

"What your question, Enterprise," Admiral Stenson spoke up. Titohoru turned his head to the admiral, looking upon his grim expression.

She moved from her seat and walked until she reached the stairs to step down towards the two men. A woman with blonde pigtails and a cowboy followed her. "I would just like to know how much experience our new Commander has on naval operations and combat." Titohoru looked to the Admiral as he felt his throat tightened: this was something he did not want to discuss until after the strategy test against Amagi. He could only feel fear in his heart; he knew what kind of response he would get when the truth came out.

"Well. . . you see Enterprise. . ." Admiral Stenson began, pausing. Titohoru saw the woman raise an eyebrow at the Admiral. "You're new Commander has no experience in the navy." The room went silent, probably in disbelief. "However, he does show great potential for strategy. High Command believes he will be necessary for future strategic advances and operations against the Sirens," Stenson informed the group, however Titohoru knew the damage had already been dealt.

"And that's suppose make us feel better about situation?" Enterprise demanded, her voice rising in agitation. A few other voices rose up to agree with her. Titohoru looked at the expressions of the shipgirls. There were various faces being made from the information they just received. "You have to be joking about this."

"Enterprise calm dow-"

"The hell you mean 'calm down'!" She yelled, her eyes filled with irritation. The room was silent; all eyes were looking at her. "You're telling me to be calm from what I just heard!" The looked to Titohoru, lifting her left arm and pointing to him. "That you and High Command are gambling the future of humanity on some kid that's good on strategy games!"

"You've made a joke out this organization," Enterprise clenched her teeth before lowering her hat with the same arm. She hid her face and walked to the door. The blonde woman had a look of concern on her face as she chased after Enterprise. "How are we suppose to fight the Crimson Axis in a state like this.

"Enterprise! Hornet!" Stenson yelled towards the doorway. "You have not been dismissed from this meeting! Get back here!" It was no use, the two women were gone. Titohoru saw Stenson walking towards the doorway.

"It's fine, Admiral," Titohoru told the man. He then turned to the crowd of shipgirls still in the sits. "As Grand Admiral of Azur Lane, I declare this meeting adjourned." He heard some of the girls snickering at the profound statement he made. "If you need to ask any questions, I'll be in here."

"Also, girls," Stenson shouted to catch their attention. "There will be a strategy battle simulation between Grand Admiral Wolvjetski and Amagi in one hour. I recommend you to come watch." One by one, the girls began to stand up and leave. The girls who were Battleships and Carriers went first followed by the vanguard shipgirls. Titohoru's heart sank with every glare or cold stare he got from each as they passed him.

He lowered his head in defeat; the damage had already been done by the Admirals before. For some reason, however, he thought he could change their minds. There was very little he could do, and he was a fool to think otherwise. _Dammit! _Titohoru felt rage towards his predecessors.

"Excuse me, Commander?" Titohoru reacted to the words, looking up. In front of him was a woman that looked very similar to Enterprise girl. However, she looked much more calm and composed. She wore a similar jacket to Enterprise's, but she wore a plain white skirt. Her silver hair flowed down and around her shoulders. Titohoru looked into her gaze, entranced by her bluish-violet eyes. Her smile was warm, and it felt like she was welcoming Titohoru with it. "I am the U.S.S. Yorktown," she bowed a little, "eldest sister of the Yorktown Class aircraft carriers."

"Ah. . ." Titohoru began, caught off guard by her genuflection. "It's nice to meet you, Yorktown," he held out his hand to her, "however, there's no need for bowing." He did his best to stay calm. As much he hated to say, he couldn't but feel a little bit nervous about the exchange.

"I see," she murmured before reaching out to his hand and shaking it, "well then, Commander, it's nice to be you acquaintance." Titohoru couldn't help but notice how gentle she was with the handshake. It felt like he was being greeted by an angel. "Now, I just wanted to apologize on Enterprise's behalf." He saw Yorktown's expression changed toward sadness.

"There's no need to apologize," Titohoru tried to assure her. "I think I understand why she's so angry with me."

"There's more than just the abuse of power by the previous Commanders," her face was grim. She was about to say something but held back, biting her lip. "My apologies, Commander, but I must be off to find Enterprise. I'm worried about her outburst and behavior you saw a little bit ago." She moved away quickly, almost beginning to run as she went through the door. She disappeared from the view of the two men.

"It seems you are in for one hell of a time," the Admiral muttered. Titohoru looked to him. "From Enterprise's outburst and the way the shipgirls acted today. . ." He pressed his hand to the bridge of his nose, rubbing it.

"Don't tell me." Titohoru looked at the leather binder on the podium. "Soon we're going to have a damn revolt if things don't go well."

"You said it, not me."

The commander clenched his fists. "_Dammit!" _he whispered, grabbing the book. There was no more need to be in this room. The tugging of his uniform made him stop however. He looked at the area of the disturbance, seeing a small hand grabbing his uniform. He then followed the hand back to person who commanded it: a small girl with long, blonde twin-tails and eyes that resembled the setting sun. Her glistening, burnt orange orbs were staring up at him, curiosity being the only motivation. "Uhh. . ." He looked down further, noticing that her attire consisted of a white spandex dress with two black stripes running down her waist and two knee socks made with the same material. Even with the dress, her shoulders and sides were still exposed. What was worse is that the dress barely went down her waist before stopping, also leaving her thighs exposed. _Who decided on this "uniform"?! _

"Co. . .mmander. . .?" the girl asked softly. Titohoru froze; he didn't know how to respond. He looked over to Stenson who was watching with a smile.

"Hey there, Eldridge," the Admiral said brightly in a sweet voice. "What question do you have for Commander Wolvjetski." Eldridge turned her head to the Admiral, her hand still clasped on Titohoru's uniform. She then turned back to look up to him.

"Is Commander. . . nice?"

The Admiral smiled. "Yes, Eldrige, Commander Wolvjetski will be the nicest man you will ever meet." She nodded to his response. "Anything else you need?"

"Is Commander hungry. . .?" She stared up to him. The question was out of the blue, but Titohoru began to think about it seriously. It must've of been his brotherly instincts; he could remember a similar question that Maya would ask when they played "House". _God, I miss her already. _

He felt his stomach ache slightly in hunger. In truth, he was disappointed that he was still hungry after eating a couple hours ago. "I guess I am a little bit hungry." The response he gave seemed to have affected the girl as her eyes began to sparkle in determination. Her facial expression changed as she reached into her pocket and pulled something out. It was wrapped in napkins, but Eldridge quickly unwrapped it to show that it was a chocolate chip cookie. She held it up to him, waiting for him to take it.

Titohoru crouched down to meet her at eye level. "Thanks Eldridge." He took the cookie with a smile as he watched her expression change to awe. In the next moment, Titohoru was rubbing her on the head. _It feels like I'm around Maya again. _Realizing what he was doing, Titohoru retracted his hand. _I did it again. _

He then heard Eldridge speak up. "In exchange for cookie," Eldridge began, "Commander has to be. . . nice to everyone."

The two men looked at each other, amused by her words. Titohoru turned back to Eldridge. "Okay Eldridge, you got yourself a deal." He gave the shipgirl a toothy smile. As he looked at her, he realized that her cheeks were becoming flush before a small smile formed. She nodded with a "hmph" before turning around and walking to the door. Titohoru stood up and turned back to Stenson. The Admiral began clapping, laughing as he did so.

"Well, Wolvjetski, you made a friend in the Eagle Union," he congratulated Titohoru. "And to get along with Eldridge at that."

"What do you mean?"

Admiral Stenson wrapped his arm over Titohoru's shoulders. "Eldridge is a pretty shy girl who rarely talked to the other Admirals. However, it seems that she decided to introduce herself to you on the first day."

Titohoru shrugged. "I just handled it like I was talking with my little sister back home."

"But she saw something in you."

Titohoru shuffled away from the Admiral's grasp. It felt like the man was too friendly with him, even though they just met a couple days ago. "Let's leave it at that," Titohoru told the man. "I still have to battle Amagi in that combat simulation." He frowned, thinking of how the battle would take place. "Anyways, how is this fight even going to work."

"I'll tell you on the way, Wolvjetski." The two men walked out of the amphitheater-like room and turned right in the hallway. Titohoru looked at the red strip that ran down the wall horizontally at his waist level. He was surprised he didn't pick up the detail from earlier. "Anyways, have you ever watched those Star Wars Movies?" Titohoru nodded. "Good, this will be easier to explain: We used an advanced holographic system to prepare for campaigns against the Sirens and combat strategies. The system looks like the ones in the movies, only that ours was created by the wisdom cubes and Akashi's engineering." Titohoru heard the Admiral mutter something under his breath.

The two took a left at an intersection of corridors. "So, how are we going to fight?" Titohoru asked.

"The rules will be explained when we get there, which won't be any longer than ten seconds." The man was right. Soon enough, he showed him a door that led to the room where everything would take place. Titohoru gripped the handle and twisted the knob. The door arced outward, allowing him passage through. His eyes didn't need to move as he saw Amagi standing in front of him, across from a large table with a glowing blue top.

"Hello, Titohoru Wolvjetski," Amagi greeted him. "As of now, we are rivals."

**Important Announcement: Every 1 1/2 to 2 weeks, there will be a new chapter updated to this story. Some chapters make take longer than others in order to have the plot advance smoothly without causing confusion. Thank you for your time to read this.**


	7. A Fox's Battle

**I'm**** sorry if the chapter does not come out at the expected time period, I suddenly caught a lot of school materials to study over. **

**Commander **

Amagi eyes were a storm of violet and crimson. Her expression was neither peaceful nor harsh. Hey eyes looked temperate, a neutral position between emotions. Titohoru felt intimidated; he couldn't even compare her to the Amagi he met earlier. She was now a completely different.

Titohoru gulped nervously before stepping forward to the blue table. His gaze moved from her to the wall with a long and narrow piece of black glass on it. He wasn't sure of the purpose it had, but he had to guess it was an observation area. The feeling of surprise filled him, and his widened. He turned to the Admiral, touching his shoulder.

_"Please tell me that black glass over there is just for the decoration," _Titohoru whispered to the man, pointing to the wall.

"Why the hell are you whispering, Wolvjetski?" Stenson raised an eyebrow. He looked to the wall. "Yeah, no, that's an one-way mirror for observation." Titohoru's feelings of confidence he had previously were now fading.

"_Are you crazy!" _He was still whispering. The Admiral looked at Titohoru, questioning him with his gaze. "_I'm about to go into a battle with no idea on how it works!" _

The Admiral was still confused. "Your point?"

"Do you even know how concerned those shipgirls will be, especially Enterprise of all of them, when they see me get my ass kicked!" He paused for a moment to take a breath. "For God's sake, Admiral! You don't even realize how even more damaged morale will be! Hell! I'm fighting a woman who's a veteran in this field and all I got to go off right now is some knowledge about video games!" The Admiral just looked at Titohoru like he was crazy.

"Shouldn't strategy in video games be somewhat effective when strategizing in real life though?" Stenson asked Titohoru. He just facepalmed in response.

"Never mind," Titohoru told the man. Turning back to the table, he finally realized why high command didn't have any capable leaders. "Just tell how this work." Admiral Stenson turned to an officer in the room and nodded. The officer reciprocated the gesture and turned the console alongside the wall, pressing buttons on the machine. The table began to glow a bright blue that was almost blinding. Titohoru had to squint to the light.

Before he knew it, Titohoru was looking at a three dimensional holographic map with islands scattered around. The ocean that surrounded the small pieces of land had small waves crashing against the combined rocky and sandy shores. The detail of the display was so amazing that it felt like it was just pulled out of fiction. He then noticed that the entire table was displaying the projected hologram. _So that's how it works. _

_"_Admiral Titohoru Wolvjetski and Sakura Empire's Battleship Amagi," the Admiral announced, his voice piercing the ears of all in the room. "This will be an Annihilation Match: First person to destroy all enemy ships will be victorious." Titohoru looked to Amagi, who was still expressionless. "Each opponent will choose six ships, not shipgirls, but six regular staffed ships from any of the current existing factions in the world. Three must be Main Fleet and three must be Vanguard Fleet. Do you both understand?" Amagi nodded as a response, but Titohoru spoke up.

"Wouldn't it make sense to fight with shipgirls rather than regular ships? I'm leading the fleet of shipgirls, not regular ships." Titohoru waited for a response, but he couldn't help but feel like he was missing out on something everyone else knew.

"Well yes, Wolvjetski, that would make sense," the Admiral began, smirking as he responded. "However we have no way of reciprocating real life combat with shipgirls into the simulation matches." Titohoru was not grasping the information the Admiral told him. He looked to the Admiral, confused. The Admiral sighed. "It means that shipgirls don't fight the same as regular ships. They fight in at short ranges, even in melee combat at an incredibly fast pace."

Titohoru was clueless to the Admiral's words.

"Moving on," the Admiral continued, not waiting for a response from him. "The two opponents will start from each end of the battlefield. Remember that enemy targets are invisible until spotted in a field of view or reconnaissance detects them." Titohoru placed a hand on his jaw. _So there's reconnaissance. _Suddenly, a blue box, like a screen, appeared in front of him. He watched as the screen began to fill up with various silhouettes of ships with the names of them in the top left corner. He stood there in awe, slowly reaching out to touch the screen. He watched as his fingers went through it and retracted his arm. "Wolvjetski, you can scroll up and down on the screen," the Admiral informed him as he walked over and demonstrated to him.

"I see," Titohoru responded, copying the Admiral and doing so. He experimented as he looked through the various ships; destroyers, light cruisers, heavy cruisers, battleships, submarines, carriers, battle monitors. It looked like every ship from World War II was on the list. He then looked up to the top right of the screen, seeing a small tab that read "sort". "Admiral, what is that?"

"It's a feature that allows the user to sort out the war-ships by faction and type." Titohoru tapped on the tab, a list appeared of smaller tabs appeared before him. The far left tab, which read "All", was highlighted a gold color while the other tabs stayed blue. Those tabs had the name of each faction on them. "It helps the user find the ship they're looking for." Titohoru nodded in understanding before selecting the "Sakura Empire" tab. In a flash, a number of ship profiles disappeared. The only ships to remain had a sakura flower emblem in the top left corner of each profile.

_Well then. _The new Admiral looked to his opponent. Amagi was looking through the ship profiles, too, but she began selecting the ships. It seemed that she was already dead set on a strategy. _There's no way I can beat a veteran head-on. _He brought his fingers to his chin. _I also have no experience or knowledge about each ship's capability. I guess I'll have to rely on statistics and unconventional attack. _He tapped on the "all" tab one more and began to scroll downwards. His eyes rummaged through the information of each ships profile, trying to find one that he saw promising.

His eyes laid set on one ship: the Enterprise. It was a ship that he was all too familiar with when he played Naval strategy games. It reminded him of the interaction with the ship-girl not too long ago. He looked to the black stained window; he was determined to prove Enterprise wrong on her assumption of him.

He selected the ship and two others; the Baltimore and Helena. _I'm gonna have to keep tabs on her movement. _He looked at the never-ending list of ships. _I have two main fleet and one vanguard remaining. _His thoughts rumbled with decisions, but he couldn't decide between choosing more carriers or choosing a battleship. He thought slowly before sighing, selecting the ship named South Dakota. _The firepower will be helpful if I get caught in a tight situation. _

He then scrolled up to the Royal Navy ships and tapped on the ship named Unicorn. _I won't have enough time to do full recon, but using Unicorn's fighters for that should let me keep Enterprise's airpower without risking anything. _His eyes shifted over to the fox-woman. Her eyes were closed and she was still. Her expression was calm; nearly the complete opposite of his. To him, it seemed she was done and waiting. _Shit, don't have too much time left. _Going to the tabs, he selected the tab for destroyers. The menu once again vanished certain ships.

His eyes wandered over the information of each ship until one caught his attention. _Yes, _Titohoru thought when he selected the ship. That vessel's capabilities were greatly needed if he had a chance against Amagi. His hand wandered to the ship icon to Ayanami. He then turned to the Admiral and gave him a silent 'okay'.

"Now then," The Admiral boomed to get the room's attention, "These two competitors will now face off in an deathmatch." The holographic map disappeared for a couple seconds before reappearing. This time, the ships he selected were facing him. There was also a transparent blue screen hovering in front of him. He looked from his fleet's location to Amagi's. Her ships were not in sight. _So this screen hides her fleet, just as I thought. _

_"_Titohoru," the Admiral's voice was now low and calm, "in order to move your fleet around, you select the ships you want to move and draw a path with your fingers like this." The Admiral touched the Enterprise's ship icon, highlighting the vessel red. He turned back Titohoru, gesturing for him to proceed in his plan. Titohoru thanked the man and went on his way, his eyes gleaming in determination.

**(* * *) **

The fight was not going well. He felt as if his gut had ice pressed around it. His fingers pressed against his chin, rubbing them nervously. His eyes wandered to an area where yellow highlighted ships emerged from the island formation. It was Amagi's fleet; all six of her ships were still in operation and pristine condition. He shifted his gaze to the opposite side of the battlefield. Only four of his ships remained. The Baltimore and Helena were sinking and the Unicorn had her deck damaged. He didn't realize, but beads of sweat were trickling down his face. He was in a bad position, and he didn't have a way to recover. _Damn, _he bit his thumb in frustration.

Titohoru selected South Dakota's icon and moved her position to the front of the fleet. _I don't have much of an option, but I might have to spearhead Amagi's fleet. I'm going to need a shield to take the flak. _He moved Ayanami right behind the battleship. The remaining two ships were still on standby. _I'm sorry Unicorn, but you'll need to be Enterprise's shield. _He moved Unicorn to fall behind of Enterprise.

The low sound of a cannon was fired. Titohoru's eyes caught two yellow lights flying fast across the holographic map. He held his breath as landed just short of Enterprise. He guided Unicorn to the side Enterprise was being shot from. The South Dakota began to turn left as he requested it to, the Ayanami in close pursuit. The two ships were headed straight for the enemy. He could hear the whispers of some of the officers denouncing his plan. _I wish I could think of another plan, but I can't fight a war attrition at this rate. _Tapping the screen, he focused his forward cannons and anti-aircraft guns on the enemy fleet. He watched as the South Dakota fired its front batteries and unleashed the AA guns. One of the cannon shells struck her destroyer while the other splashed into the sea. _The holographic details sure are amazing._

The room was silent as the battle advanced. Titohoru looked up to Amagi; her expression was unfazed. _I guess she was ready to lose a ship. _Looking back down, the five remaining ships fired upon the South Dakota. The hailstorm of lasers landed in the battleship's area, striking her deck a few times. However, instead of being out of commission, she was still moving fast and proud. _South Dakota's armor should let Ayanami get close enough to launch torpedoes. _He changed to Enterprise, giving the order to launch half of her air power. He watched as the Dauntless SBD's propeller's began to rotate faster and faster.

The hymn of the barrage echoed into his ear, followed by the bright path of shells. They launched over the South Dakota and Ayanami. It seemed that Amagi had switched strategy. _I really thought she would focus on the South Dakota. She must be concerned about my airpower. _The enemy projectiles aiming for Enterprise all crashed into sea, but Unicorn wasn't so lucky. In an instant, his eyes viewed the annihilation of his support carrier. Three shells pierced through the deck and detonated whatever was in the hangar. Titohoru winced at the fireball that shot high above the ship.

He grabbed the collar of his uniform and adjusted it. The feeling of sweat formed on his body. He was afraid to lose this battle. _I still got time. _He watched as Amagi's fleet began to turn starboard, towards the island formation for cover. _South Dakota's only two miles from the main fleet. _His battleship fired a salvo, resulting in another hit on one of Amagi's two cruisers. Her fleet responded in kind. _Now. _

He ordered the Ayanami to launch torpedoes. He saw the torpedo launcher point itself ahead of Amagi's fleet before shooting out five torpedoes, one after another. He watched anxiously as the small streams of water moved to intercept the enemy. _From how things are going, she'll need to slow cruising speed and turn left to move behind the torpedoes. _The South Dakota's armaments took aim ahead of the predicted course, ready to fire.

The sound of aircraft was heard, and Titohoru watched as the enemy aircraft flew towards the South Dakota and Ayanami. At the same time, two ships of Amagi's fleet slowed down, performing exactly as he expected. _Fire! _South Dakota's shell flew fast through the air, hitting and neutralizing the leading ship. At the same time, two torpedoes hit the leading still traveling at cruising speed. Two ships were down with three more to go.

However, the outcome he though of was off. His eyes averted upwards, watching as aircraft dive-bombed his battleship and destroyer. To his horror, both received multiple hits and began to slow down. His spearhead ships had been sunk. Titohoru's hand clenched into a fist. _I still have Enterprise, maybe if I- _

The sound of multiple cannons were heard and he watched helplessly as most of the shells buried themselves into his last ship. An enormous fireball erupted as the ship broke into two from the explosion. The holographic then began to fade. Titohoru stood there, his body numb from the result; he had been defeated.

"This concludes the match between Amagi and Admiral Wolvjetski," the Admiral's voice echoed through the room. "Congratulations, Amagi." Titohoru's eyes stared across to Amagi, whom bowed to him before moving away from the table and towards the exit. Titohoru kept his gazing forward, unresponsive as Amagi spoke to him softly.

"You performed well, Commander." Her words never reached him. He had lost, and it was terrible one at that. He had only taken down half of Amagi's fleet while she easily swept the floor with him.

The sound of Amagi's footsteps tapped became silent as the room door closed behind her. Titohoru looked over to the one-way window at the wall. It was no doubt that the shipgirls who watched were disappointed with his performance. _It's all over; Not even started my job and I'm already a failure._

_"_Wolvjetski. Hey kid, you there." His eyes wandered to the Admiral. Concern masked the man's face as his worried eyes looked overhim. "Hey, don't get down, you performed phenomenal."

"Hey, Admiral. . . I'll be at the beach if you need me," Titohoru informed the man. He was barely able to speak those words, his mind rumbling from the event. He couldn't think straight.

"Oh. . . um, okay." Stenson's voice was soft. Titohoru moved to leave the room, gripping the handle door tightly as he flung it open. His footsteps echoed the hallway as he heard the door click behind him. _Damnit. _He gritted his teeth. _Damnit! Damnit! _He felt his body begin to flow with shame and humiliation. _Why am I even here? To be humiliated in front of the Eagle Union? _"Tch." Titohoru found and walked out of a side entrance to the building, shoving the door open as he did so.

The sun was setting. The introduction meeting and the battle must of taken longer than he though. The burnt orange horizon shone against him. He felt himself gravitating toward the beach shore, like it was place he could always retreat to. It very thought of that made him irritated. _Retreat? Like hell. _He became lost in thoughts as he walked the concrete path. Before Titohoru knew it, he was at the beach with his feet digging into the sand. His body began to sweat to the uncomfortable heat of the evening. He grabbed at his collar and unbuttoned the top of his uniform to let the breeze cool him off.

"Damnit." He sat down on the sand, digging his fingers into it. He squeezed it, feeling the soft texture. It felt almost comforting to grab something with soft sensation. He stared towards the horizon, his thoughts scurrying around to explain his loss against Amagi. "I knew that it was going to be really difficult to battle a war veteran, but I didn't expect to get my ass kicked _that _badly." He scooped up a pile of sand and threw it, watching it disperse into individual particles. _I know I expected to lose, but why does it seem. . . to hurt so much. And why do I feel so helpless against it. _He sighed as he let the emotions of sadness of humiliation course through him. All he knew now was that the Eagle Union shipgirls would seem him as an incapable strategist.

"At least the sun is here to warm me," he muttered, watching the sky turn from orange to a brownish-purple. It seemed that his first day on the job had been the opposite of what he wanted to achieve.

"It seems you enjoy the sunset as well, Commander?" A soft, reasoning voice called out to him. He twisted his hips to turn and look at the person whom had called him. It was same woman whom apologized for Enterprise earlier today: Yorktown. Her smile was comforting to look at. Titohoru felt himself freeze up momentarily, ice shooting through his veins in nervousness.

Titohoru forced himself to turn back at the horizon. "Ah. . . oh, well I wasn't exactly watching the sunset," he informed her. "More like trying to blow off steam, that's all." He looked in the corner of his view, watching Yorktown as she walked to his right and took a seat beside him. "So, did you want to come watch the sunset?" The question was stupid, and he scolded himself mentally for saying it. However, he couldn't think of anything else to say; he felt uncomfortable at the moment. Yorktown was nice and all, but she was still a stranger to him.

"Not today," Yorktown answered, "rather, I wanted to speak with you again." He was surprised at the response; he figured that he was not a topic of interest to the shipgirls. "Commander, you should give yourself more credit."

"Why's that?" He was confused by her statement. Yorktown smiled at him, a genuine smile like one he had seen from Eldridge. "I mean, I got destroyed by Amagi in the simulation match." He lay down on the sand and sighed.

"Commander, don't get so hard on yourself. Out of the previous Admiral's who faced, you gave her the most trouble," Yorktown comforted him.

Titohoru shot up from the sand, his eyes wide with surprise. Even though the new information didn't seem like much, he felt a smile plaster over his face; a smile of gratitude. "That's news to me," he laughed, feeling himself cheer up.

"When I watching the end of the match, it may have not seemed like it, but I saw Amagi get caught off her guard." Titohoru turned to her, and she was already looking in his direction. "Apparently your spearhead tactic startled her, but it might've been hard to see since she hardly shows emotion during battle."

"She also has an exemplary battle record for her time battling the Sirens with Azur Lane." Yorktown kept speaking about Amagi as Titohoru listened in awe. Amagi was not only an excellent strategist; she seemed to be a legend to other shipgirls in Azur Lane. Comparing himself to her, Titohoru couldn't hold a candle to her. The Fox-woman outclassed him in strategy on any given day.

"She sure is amazing, isn't she," Titohoru muttered, feeling his moment of being proud fading back to his frustration. Yorktown nodded, her expression still calm and peaceful.

"Commander, you had Amagi intimidated for a moment at the end," Yorktown told him, the pitch in her voice more cheerful, as if she was trying to get his hopes up. "The other Commander's didn't even get past the ten minute mark; you and Amagi sparred for an hour. It probably would've been longer if you didn't lose your two cruisers at the beginning of the match."

"Yeah, she surprised me with the rush tactic." He felt himself loosen and become more laid back. It seemed that Yorktown was able to calm him down from his doubts. _She really does have a talent for comforting others. _

"Commander Wolvjetski, this match showed the shipgirls something amazing about you," Yorktown remarked, her head turning to the horizon and he followed suit. "Enterprise is still troubled by the fact you're young; but she, South Dakota, and the others watching acknowledged that you have potential to be an equal to Amagi."

Titohoru let out a small laugh that he didn't know he let out. "You think so, Yorktown?" She nodded earnestly, placing her hands on the ground to balance herself as she stood up. She wiped off the sand that stuck to her white dress and the black coat that was worn over it. She turned to him, their eyes connecting gazes. Even though they had done this many times previously, it was the first time he noticed her eyes; they were the same as Enterprise's, but seemed to be much warmer, like a calm river stream traveling in a warm, peaceful, sunny day. It was a stark contrast to Enterprise's storming glare.

"It has been nice talking to you like this," Yorktown announced to him. Her arms went behind her back as she turned back to the horizon. "It is such a beautiful sunset to end a day: a day of new beginnings that is." He was silent to her statement, but he knew what she meant by those words. "I'll see you some time again, Commander. Take care."

"You too as well."

With those last words, he turned to watch Yorktown walk away silently up the stairs. He watched until her figure disappeared behind the elevated position before turning back to the water. He listened to the waves crashing against the shore of the beach; it felt soothing. However, he would have to leave soon. There was much work to be done tomorrow, and he suspected that he wouldn't be left off the hook like in the morning. He sighed, but there was a smile on his face. Things had not gone as planned, but from what Yorktown said, there hadn't been any regress in the relationship between him and the Eagle Union shipgirls.

He turned his back to the horizon and headed for the dorm; he was going to need plenty of rest for tomorrow. He smirked at himself; he couldn't believe that he was the head of Azur Lane: the most advanced naval organization in the world. Shoving his hands into his pocket, he walked the concrete path, heading for the new tomorrow.

**Hello. **

**First of all, I am sorry for lying about the upload schedule, but I somehow managed to get writer's block in this chapter. I didn't know how to describe the holographic battle between the Commander and Amagi so I was being as careful as possible not mess anything up. Anyways, I hope you enjoy and see you next time.**


	8. An Ordinary Day

**Happy Fourth of July!**

**_Commander _**

His bedroom was dark; the only source of light was emanating from the window curtain that blocked out the sun. The layout of the room was barely visible in this state. However, Titohoru couldn't get himself to turn on the light, he hands rest on his knees as he bent over from in exhaustion. It had been a hard morning. "Eldridge. . ."

"Commander. . ." Eldridge murmured, her voice low as if she was too tired to speak any louder. She was laid out on Titohoru's bed, her back facing the mattress and her legs dangling over the side. Titohoru looked at saw her flushed face staring straight at him, her eyes half-open and expression blank. For some reason, he felt as if the mood had become more uncomfortable than it already was. "Eldridge is here. . ." Her arms reached out to him, but they only grasped air.

"I can see that." He was panting through his words as he was finally able to catch his breath. He became apparent in his state as the air-conditioning began to cool the sweat that drenched his shirt and shorts. "I just have one question, Eldridge: what are you doing in my room?" He moved to the light switch and flicked it on, the room spontaneous blinded him momentarily. "Shit!" He rubbed at his eyes to soothe them. He turned back to Eldridge. "Sorry for the language. . ." He rubbed the left side of his torso; it was still aching from the training routine. "Anyways, Eldridge, what do you need?"

She sat back up on the bed before hopping off and shuffling until she was beside him. "Eldridge is here. . . to look after Commander." Her flushed cheeks of shyness and sparkling eyes affected his being. _Adorable. _"And a man said that Commander. . . needs to go to his office immediately."

_Wonder what paperwork I'll have today, _Titohoru thought. It had been two weeks since he arrived at the base and nothing much had happened since the simulation battle against Amagi. Along with the intense, he began commissions, patrol schedules, and planning for upcoming sorties into the Pacific. During the two weeks, there had been a sortie briefing which Enterprise lead while he watched from the back of the room.

He was also able to meet some of the other shipgirls that weren't completely distrusting of him. Eldridge had been getting close to him as well; she was always either waiting in his room out in the hallway every morning since.

"Ah," Titohoru uttered. _Stenson probably told her to say that. _"Thanks Eldridge." He showed off a warm smile and patted her head. Doing so, Eldridge's emotion of neutral swapped to joyful. "Now, I need you to wait outside while I take a shower." He then realized the awkwardness of his request once it escaped his lips. Eldridge nodded, walking through the exit as the door closed behind her; she didn't question his sentence.

Titohoru went to the bathroom and turned the nozzle. Water came shooting out in small, icy cold streams before slowly warming up to boil water emitting steam into the air. The water vapor soothed his skin causing him to forget about the pain of soreness that ebbed throughout his body. He never knew that training could make him suffer so much agony of moving his body. He sighed as the burning sensations became present when he bent his legs. He undressed himself and rushed into the shower to embrace its warm presence.

**(* * *) **

With his uniform on and Jefferson on his shoulder, he exited his residence. Eldridge was standing beside the entrance, staring up at the ceiling.

"Thanks for waiting, Eldridge." Titohoru thanked the girl, who gave him a simple nod. He locked his dorm room with his key and the two were off to the office. They walked through the blue-carpeted, red-walled hallways side by side. Turning a corner at an cross-section, they passed another shipgirl. She had long, blue hair and looked as if she was sixteen or seventeen.

"Good afternoon, Commander," she murmured. She sped past the duo, her arms swinging back and forth across her sides.

"Good afternoon. . . " by the time Titohoru finished responding, she was already gone, moving along down the hallway. It seemed she was in a rush. "Say, Eldridge, who is that?" Her figure was slowly becoming smaller.

"That is. . . Helena." Eldridge looked back to her, watching until she turned down another corridor. "Good. . . at radar."

"Helena, huh," he muttered, he looked down at the leather binder he carried; he was still trying to memorize all of the shipgirls at the base. "If I remember, she's part of the Brooklyn-Class." He uttered the words to himself. Eldridge nodded in agreement.

"She looks. . . a lot like St. Louis." He frowned at the statement; he didn't much about St. Louis, yet. He probably hadn't gotten to her profile in the documents. "Commander. . . move faster."

"Yeah, yeah."

The pair continued their walk, reaching the outdoors and walking the concrete road. The were by an area of forestry. Titohoru frowned at the view green; he hadn't seemed to notice it before. The sun's rays gave him a nice feeling warmth, but it also reminded him of the workout he participated in earlier. He could feel his entire body ache just from bringing it up. A person walked past them, nodding hello as they did so. Titohoru returned the gesture. He looked down to Eldridge; her lips were slightly parted and her gaze was focused ahead. Her face showed no emotion; she seemed like a robot. Titohoru felt awkward looking at her while she was like that.

The two reached an intersection at the road and turned left. They walked ahead, the road becoming more crowded with sailors and base staff. They passed a couple shipgirls, too, watching as the young-looking girls ran towards the dock in excitement.

"Hurry up, Cassin, we're going to be late for the exercises!" one called out to the other. The girl who shouted had snow-white hair with a couple of streaks of red in her bangs; it was tied up in a ponytail. She had a bandage on her nose and was wearing black, fingerless gloves. She wore an oversize shirt the U.S. Navy insignia, which barely covered her waistline. She also wore a black jacket with white stripes and had black knee stockings. She was energetic while the other shipgirl seemed to be dead inside, the same way he act when having too much homework. He gazed at the two girls until they walked out of sight.

"That was Downes. . ." Eldridge uttered, barely audible in the bustling crowd of personnel. "Other was. . . Cassin."

The Commander knew those names; they were destroyers for the Eagle Union. He remembered looking through their data files from a week ago. He also remembered that their main attribute was speed.

They walked until they reached the Lecture Hall, which also served as the intelligence building for Azur Lane operations. Titohoru lead the way with Eldridge close behind, passing a few fellow officers as they made their way to the second floor. Turning at a few more corridors, they arrived at Titohoru's new office, the door stating his name on a thin, golden plaque. The knob turned and the door swung to the left, letting the duo enter the office. He turned to the right to face the back of the room where his desk and the Admiral were. He also noticed that there was a small girl with a pinkish-white hair on the couch that sat by the wall to his right. The sleeping shipgirl had twin-tails that were tied up by metal clamps with bunny ears on them. He also noticed that there was a bottle of bourbon cradled in her arms as if it was a doll.

_Laffey is here as well, _he thought. He had first met here at the cafeteria three days after he started to live at the base. He remembered walking through the side entrance and seeing Laffey face down next to a bottle of bourbon. After some time trying to get her awake, they had a short and slow conversation. It mostly about her complaining about the lack of sleep, which Titohoru rebutted that she should go to sleep earlier. Two weeks later, the advice not got through her.

"Finally got here, I see," Stenson greeted the two, but didn't bother to look to them. He was looking out the windows, which had a symmetric-design scheme with a circle at it's center with the frame being made of wood.

"So what's on today's agenda?" Titohoru asked. He fumbled with his hands waiting for an answer.

"To show you the routine schedules of the shipgirls," he turned from the window, "and how you can use this to get on a more comfortable level with them—like to finding common ground such as having similar interests." He paused. "I also have battle reports I want you to study." The Admiral came forward and handed a yellow folder to him.

"I see."

"Annnnd, we need to meet with Akashi so we can get you comfortable to more unusual conditions," he said this walking back to his desk, reaching behind the opened computer. Retracting his hand, he revealed an puffy, yellow bird-like creature with black, beady eyes and orange beaks. It wings were much shorter than the average bird. Titohoru then heard Jefferson caw at the creature, looking up to see the eagle's head tilted in curiosity. "Curious looking creature, isn't it?"

"What. . . is it, he, her?" Titohoru walked closer to get a better look at the creature.

"This little guy is called a Manjuu, like the food," the Admiral explained, bringing it closer as it hopped around in his hand. "According to files, he is a sentient and self-conscious being that assist and serve the Shipgirls and Azur Lane staff only. They don't follow orders from any outside organization."

Titohoru nodded in understanding. "So these. . . guys won't be found in the Crimson Axis, or any defected branch of A.L.?"

"Correct," he handed the Manjuu to him, "hold him for a sec." Titohoru watched as the small creature landed on his only empty palm. It looked to him, eyes squinted in a positive notion, like it was doing its best to smile. _Fluffy and Cute. _"Now as for the name of these creatures, the Sakura Empire Faction developed them so they got the final say. As for why they chose 'Manjuu' as the name; they explained that it looked similar to the food, even though I can't see the comparison between the two." Titohoru couldn't either as he never has seen what the food looked like. "As for the little guy's name, I believe he has the designation as Manjuu #56 out of 20,000."

"Wait, there are 20,000 thousand of these things? Here?"

"This place used to house over 300 shipgirls. That requires a lot of staff." The Admiral patted Laffey on the head before making his way to the door. "Come on, Laffey, time to escort Commander Wolvjetski."

Titohoru watched as she got up slowly, wiping her eyes from her nap. "Laffey is still tired," she spoke while sitting up on the couch. She reached for the bottle that lay next to her, "and out of bourbon." He felt of the body of the Manjuu jump off his hand, flapping to the girl before landing on her head. Laffey reacted slowly, cradling the bird between her while standing up. Her half-closed eyelids made it hard to see her red irses were looking. "Hello, Eldridge." He looked over to the blonde shipgirl who she nodded in response. Eldridge then reached and grabbed his hand, holding it softly. Laffey saw the small interaction unfold.

"Now, let's move before we miss the battleships' exercise," Stenson remarked leaving the door open for the trio. Titohoru nodded, closing it after Laffey and Eldridge passed through. He felt anxious as they moved out of the building; it had been two weeks, and he had only become comfortable with Laffey and Eldridge.

They were moving towards the dock area of the island base. Each step he took was agonizing, knowing that soon enough he was going to be judged harshly by the ships they were visiting. He got his emotions in check and put a calm face on as he walked through the plaza area. The anchor fountain gave off splashing sounds, seemingly calming him down.

It was short-lived, as he saw a familiar figure out of the corner of his eyes. The silky white hair that flowed from beneath a officer's naval cap. She was walking alone through the area as she watched him in the corner of her eye. It wasn't a glare, but it was definitely a cold look as she moved away, heading for the dorms. He slowed to a stop, letting go of Eldridge's hand. Enterprise turned her head, walking off towards the dormitories. Titohoru reciprocated her actions, grabbing Eldridge's hand as they caught up with Laffey and Stenson. He couldn't help but think that he gave a cold gaze as well, resulting in the mutual exchange. Enterprise wasn't exactly his favorite.

The group moved on, soon enough walking onto a pier that stood parallel with the beach. They stopped towards the edge of the pier, and Titohoru looked out to the seemingly infinite ocean, the sunlight reflecting off the waves and somewhat blinding him.

**BOOM!**

An abrupt, ear-piercing explosion was felt through Titohoru's whole body. He flinched at the sound of cannons going off. His nerves were shot from the deafening sound; he didn't know if was ever going to be relaxed again if he had to deal with this on a daily basis.

"There she is, Wolvjetski!" the Admiral shouted, letting out a laugh. He probably knew that Titohoru's eardrums had been blown out. "South Dakota sure is fired up today!" The man pointed to the caramel-colored shipgirl as she raced towards another shipgirl, who fired another ear-exploding barrage. He watched as six shells flew across the air instantly. Five of the shells then crashed into the sea, erupting into massive explosion, geysering water into the air. The last shell had been on a path right on South Dakota who deflected the shell at an inhuman speed. The round flew above her and exploded in a cloud of metal, fire, and smoke. Titohoru watched in awe: he was looking at the equipment on either side of South Dakota. She was wielding a metal shield along with triple barreled turrets, each connected to a piece of ship hull. He stood there dumbfounded as he noticed that the rigging was floating.

South Dakota fired her cannons, the shells whistling across the air as they tried to make contact with the other shipgirl. In vain, the shipgirl dodged as the shells landed in the water and exploded. There was a short shower of seawater as Titohoru looked at South Dakota's opponent. She was an older-looking woman with short, grey hair as her deep blue eyes were shining in excitement. He could also see that shirt was wearing a black miniskirt with straps that connected to the top of her knee-high boots, leggings being underneath the clothes. There was also a white, officers jacket around her shoulder as she wore a dress shirt that was scrunched up by a belt that sat just below her breasts, exposing her stomach and cleavage. However, it was the wide smile the girl had on her face that caught his attention. It was like the expression of a child having fun (if so-called fun included being shot at with live ammunition) and not being able to contain her excitement.

"You noticed the smile, too," a voice calmly spoke into his ear. He turned his head to the right to see a blonde, blue-eyed woman smiling at him. She was probably the only shipgirl besides Yorktown to be so formally dressed. "Washington only ever smiles like that when fighting against South Dakota."

"Ah," Titohoru responded, "So that's why she seemed so excited out there." He folded his arms as he continued watching the two shipgirls go at each other. The blonde moved up beside him, her arms folded and legs crossed. As she stood there, Titohoru looked at her up and down. She was wearing a white, button down officer's jacket as well as a white miniskirt and black leggings. Small, black gloves covered her hands as she held one to her cheek.

"I'm afraid we haven't fully met, Commander."

He turned his attention back to her. "Yeah, I've been so busy that I haven't been able to greet everyone. Sorry." His tone was apologetic. "Could I have your name?"

"North Carolina of the North Carolina class-battleships," she introduced as the two shook hands. There was another explosion of cannons, along with yelling. "It gets quite noisy when there are exercises."

He nodded, "My ears haven't gotten used to the sound yet. I'm afraid I might go deaf in a while." She giggled at the remark.

"Washington out there is my younger sister, but she can get a little unruly. At least she was a unique personality." Titohoru found that last remark a bit strange, but he ignored it none the less. Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by the blaring of a horn. "Their little duel over now," North Carolina informed him, "here, Commander, let me go fetch Washington."

"Oh, no, that's all ri. . . " he tried to stop her, but she walked away to the edge of pier, out of earshot. He then decided to move next to Admiral Stenson who was applauding both South Dakota and Washington. Laffey was clapping as well and the Manjuu on her head was sleeping. _How can that thing sleep through all this noise. _

"Good battle, you two!" He applauded. "However, South Dakota, you might want to ease back on the aggressive advance: you were created for defense, not for speed." South Dakota was still on water, nodding in understanding. Titohoru noticed her outfit, which flustered him just by looking at it. _It doesn't do a good job in covering some areas. _She then leaped onto the pier, and Titohoru watched as her equipment vaporized into blue particles. "Also, I need to request you for a job."

"What do you need, Admiral," South Dakota demanded. Her tone was completely flat and her expression was stern. Hey eyes were traveling back and forth between Stenson and Titohoru. She placed a hand on her hip.

"I'm placing you in charge as first secretary ship for the Commander," he ordered her. "Now that he's up to speed on all procedures and information, I'm tasking you in assisting him in his work. I trust that you can handle it?" She nodded. "Good."

"Aw, Admiral, you could've assigned me instead," North Carolina reassured as she pushed Washington along with her. "Better yet, you could've let my dear sister handle it." Washington folded her arms and turned her head as she made a 'tsk' sound.

"Listen, Commander, I don't trust your ability in commanding us," Washington said as if was fact. She raised an eyebrow towards Titohoru. He returned a cold look.

"Hey, Washington," Stenson warned.

"No, Admiral," she snapped back, "I'm going with Enterprise on this one. I know that High Command does some absurd things from time to time, but dragging a _kid _into this war tops it all." She began walking down the pier, North Carolina watching her worryingly.

She turned to Titohoru, "I'm terribly sorry about her attitude."

"No! No, it's fine," he dismissed the apology. "It's natural for her and others to be concerned. After all, I'm only here because of some stupid prophecy." He heard Jefferson chirp after saying the word. He then realized that he had forgotten about the eagle after reaching the pier earlier.

"That's a beautiful creature, Commander," North Carolina complimented. She rubbed Jefferson below the chin in which he responded kindly to. "Now I must get going, but if you ever feel like having a chat, I hang around by the merchant shop most of the time." She gave a wave as a she jogged down the pier.

He turned back to the group. "Laffey is sleepy. . . and thirsty," Laffey announced to the group as she handed the Manjuu bird to the Commander before walking down the pier as well. He then felt the tug of sleeve, looking down to see Eldridge yawn as he eyelids began closing.

"You must be quite tired, too, Eldridge," he guessed as he lifted her up to carry her. One arm was wrapped around her back as the other supported her legs. The Manjuu from his shoulder was now on his hat, giving Eldridge room to rest her head.

Soon after he got Eldridge comfortable, the Admiral told them to go to Akashi's shop without them; he had to answer a call. They went ahead of him as Titohoru and South Dakota engaged in small talk. With that, the sound of the ocean soon went silent.

**(* * *)**

The ringing bell of the shop door was heard as Titohou and South Dakota entered the shop. The walked between the cluttered filled shelves of the store. They stopped at the counter where Titohoru took a seat on one of the bar stools. He then wondered why such seats were needed in a shop, and why there was such a high counter. He felt the Manjuu jump off his head and land on the counter top.

"It's to serve drinks to the sad, lonelnya shipgirls to lift up their spirits," Akashi's voice answered him. The green-haired catgirl was looking deviously at him. "Did you pick yourself up a girlfriendnya?" She directed her pupils to South Dakota who was standing beside him.

"Akashi."

"Nya?"

He sighed at the mischievous cat-girl. "No, South Dakota got assigned as my secretary after her exercise with Washington." He heard her meow nervously. "What is it?"

"Oh, nyathing," she answered. Titohoru didn't believe it. "It's just that they kind of get out of handnya when they fight-nya." They turned to South Dakota and she shrugged off the accusation.

He turned back to Akashi. "Well it didn't seem anything to extreme. Why? Is there something between them?"

"We have a bit of history of Guadalcanal," South Dakota spoke up, taking a seat next to Titohoru. "That's all."

"Well-nya there was a bit of an event during World War II and all-nya. The crews of their predecessor ships got angry at each other for various reasons-nya."

He frowned at the explanation. "But that doesn't make any sense."

"For some reason the wisdom cubes-nya give us all the knowledge of events our predecessors had been in as well as physical forms-nya."

He looked to South Dakota who shrugged while sipping a drink that rested on the counter top. He then watched as she combed loose hair over her ear. It was a seemingly erotic display to him. "Wait," he pointed to the drink, "when did-." He heard the rattling of ice. Akashi was making another drink as she snickered at him, a devious look plastered on her face.

"Want a drink-nya?"

"How much?"

"30 gems."

"What are gems?"

"You mean you no one told you-nya?"

"The currency that Azur Lane-nya uses," Akashi explained. "One gem is worth $50 Dollars in Eagle Union-nya currency."

"Then that's a scam. I can't believe you charged South Dakota that much."

"That was a freebie."

He sighed, bouncing Eldridge on his knee as he heard soft breaths. He then heard the ringing of the bell, followed by the echoing of loud footsteps. He and South Dakota turned around to see the shipgirl Brooklyn run up to them.

"Hurry! Quickly!" She ordered the both of them. "A patrol fleet had engaged with Sirens less than hour ago!" She then left as fast as she entered. Titohoru heard Akashi meow worryingly as South Dakota ushered him to give her Eldridge.

Through the small commotion, he felt his heart sink in his chest. It was the first time he had heard a report of Sirens attacking. It was going to be a first of many.


End file.
